Victimized
by xxxfire-feariexxx
Summary: Ginny's life falls apart after she is raped by a gang of Death Eaters and left for dead. She gives up on living and retreats into herself, becoming empty and numb. That is, until an obsessed Draco Malfoy takes it upon himself to save her.
1. Torn

Summary: Ginny's life falls apart after she is raped by a gang of Death Eaters and left for dead. She gives up on life and retreats into herself, becoming empty and numb. That is, until one Draco Malfoy comes along to teach her how to live again.

Disclaimer: This story is rated M for a reason. There are graphic scenes and adult themes, so if you can not handle it, please do not read it. This is the only disclaimer I will write, so heed my warning.

A/N: Well, here it is. The first chapter of my new story. I took inspiration for this dark, twisted tale from the song "Angel" by Blue October and the novel _Rape: A Love Story_ by Joyce Carol Oates. Both are incredible and I highly recommend them.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Nothing's fine  
I'm torn  
I'm all out of faith, this is how I feel  
I'm cold and I am shamed  
Lying naked on the floor  
Illusion never changed  
Into something real  
I'm wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn  
You're a little late  
I'm already torn

-Torn by Natalie Imbruglia

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

It continued to amaze her how one moment, one decision, one mistake, could change her life forever. If she had been a fraction of a second earlier or later, if she had not turned down that one street on that one night at that one instant, none of it would have ever happened. The old phrase popped into her head. The wrong place at the wrong time. Yes, she had been at the wrong place at the wrong time and…and it destroyed her. It ruined her life.

But did that give them a right to do what they did to her? Of course it did. She made a conscious decision to turn down that street. She chose her path. She should have known better, should have seen it coming. She shouldn't have gone out that night at all. But she did, and it was her fault, all of it. That's what _they_ said. _They_ said it was her own fault.

Ginny finished doing the inventory check for the day. It was summertime in England and she was helping her brothers Fred and George everyday at Weasley Wizard Wheezes. In just the few weeks she had been here she had done wonders for the shop. Her brothers made incredible products and were great salesmen, but they were horrible at cleaning, restocking, or keeping up with the cash flow in and out of their store. It also helped that a lot more male customers visited the shop when they saw her behind the register. Her brothers had been torn between fighting off all the boys trying to flirt with her and using her natural attractiveness and flirtatious nature to make more sales. In the end, they opted for the latter, and had her stand outside the shop advertising their latest merchandise.

Ginny stood up from where she had been kneeling in front of a shelf counting Dung Bombs and rubbed her back with a yawn. Fred came out from the back room with a box full of goods in his arms. "What's that?"

He set it on the table. "Custom order. For Jade on the other side of Diagon Alley. She's working part time at the second hand robe shop."

Ginny looked in the box. They were WonderWitch products, mostly love potions and Guaranteed Ten-Second Pimple Vanishers. Light stuff. She could carry it easily. "I can deliver it for you."

Fred glanced out the window at the darkening sky. "I dunno, Gin. The sun's gonna set soon. You shouldn't be outside alone."

Ginny glared at him. For once she wished her brothers would trust her. "I'll be fine. I'll be there and back in an hour, promise. I won't even stop at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor."

He sighed. For being half of the biggest trouble-making duo in Hogwarts, possibly the entire Wizarding World, he was incredibly overprotective. "Okay, but hurry back or Mum will have my head!"

She was already out the door, the box under her arm. Finally. As much as she loved her job, being stuck in that stuffy shop all day when she could be outside enjoying Diagon Alley and looking in shop windows was torture. Her brothers gave her a fifth of their earnings and she had been collecting it for weeks now. She now had five Galleons, ten Sickles, and three Knuts. It was enough to get some robes at the second hand shop or, she gazed longingly in at Madam Malkin's, a new dress robe.

Ginny glanced to the left. There was the entrance to Knockturn Alley. She could take a shortcut. It would save her half an hours walk and besides, the street looked practically empty. Ginny peeked both ways to see if anyone was around before turning down the Alley. Nobody would bother her, and if they did, she patted the wand at her side, she had a nasty Bat Bogey Hex at the ready.

The wrong place at the wrong time. That was where she was when she turned into Knockturn Alley and decided her fate. She was walking past a tavern when a group of men stumbled out of it. Ginny strode quickly past them, not looking up at their faces. She was just a few more blocks. Were they following behind her? The girl sped up and so did their footsteps.

"Hey! Weasley!" Ginny stopped at the sound of her name. Should she turn around? Say hello? She didn't recognize the voice and she wouldn't be friends with anybody that would call her Weasley, much less hang out at taverns in Knockturn Alley. The redhead resumed her pace. "Weasley! I'm talking to you!" The voice was slurred. She began trotting, then running. That set off the chase.

They tailed her for blocks. She began to feel panic set in. She turned corners randomly in the hopes of losing them until she herself was completely lost. Still, Ginny couldn't seem to shake them. The men gained on her as she rounded another bend, hoping this one would lead to an exit or at least to someone who would save her.

She stopped, dropping her box and panting for breath. Before her was a wall—a dead end. Behind her the men had caught up, blocking the entrance to the alley. She was trapped. Ginny turned slowly, pulling out her wand.

"Well, well, look what we have here. A little Weasel caught all alone. What should we do with her, boys?" Death Eaters. Four of them. They wore the robes and masks hiding their faces. One of them stepped closer, the one that had spoken, and she backed up, wand raised. "Yes, what should we do with you?"

"Don't touch me! I will hex you into oblivion! I will yell!" Her voice was shaky and loud. He seemed to consider her threats before he lifted his own wand. But instead of pointing it at her, he pointed it to the entrance of the alley and said a spell she recognized but couldn't place.

"Nobody will hear you shout now." He grinned. "That muffling spell will cover this entire alley. And besides," the man stepped closer, grabbing for her, "I like it when they scream."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Fred glanced up at the clock. Ginny had been gone for three hours now—was almost eleven. "George? Have you seen Gin?"

His twin brother poked his head out from where he had been rummaging in the fridge. "No. Not since she left." He too glanced at the clock and whistled. "Mum's gonna have a cow."

"I'm not worried about Mum." Fred stood with a glare at his brother and moved to the fireplace, throwing in some floo. He poked his head in, calling out the name of the second hand robe shop. The place was dark and empty. The customers and employees had long ago gone home. If Ginny had been there, she wasn't now.

Fred pulled his head out of the fire. George stood above him, a worried look on his face. "Floo Mum. I'm going out to look for her."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

One moment. One mistake.

He took her wand from her before she could hex them. The man broke it into two pieces and then threw it to the ground before shoving her against the wall. She struggled with him while the others looked on in anticipation. Ginny fought the way her brothers had taught her, punching at him with her little fists, but he was much stronger. Even after she poked him in the eye, making it bloodshot and red, he still laughed.

He laughed as he threw her to the ground and ripped off her clothes. Laughed as his friends beat and cursed her. Laughed as he violated her body with his hands. He _laughed_. He unzipped his pants, exposing himself, and in a last desperate move she kicked him in the groin.

He stopped laughing. The Death Eater was angry now as he shoved her head into the ground. Her vision went blurry and she felt something sticky and hot at the back of her skull. Blood dripped into her eyes. She couldn't fight back anymore; she could barely keep conscious, as he shoved his penis into her. "Whoah, boys! Lucky score! This one's a virgin!"

They took turns raping her. They violated her body, putting their filthy hands on her. They put their penises in her mouth as she struggled against them. They enjoyed it, making her scream. Making her cry out for mercy. Making her beg for them to stop.

But they didn't stop, and it was horrible. Two of them were big, burly men, leaning more to the fat side. They practically crushed her with their obese, sweaty bodies. The other one, the one with the dark brown skin and deep voice, he enjoyed beating her senseless. He seemed to find pleasure in it. But the leader. He was the worst. He whispered things in her ear. Disgusting things. He told her about how he had watched her at school. She always wore those short skirts and flirted with a bunch of guys. She dated five of them in three years. He told her she deserved what she got, acting like a whore all the time.

Ginny believed him. He was right after all. If she hadn't acted that way, hadn't led them on…she didn't even know who they were. They kept masks over their faces the entire time. But his eyes, she remembered those. He had icy blue eyes that stared at her with lust and hate. She could never forget those eyes.

The hours slowly crept by as they had their fun with her body. She thought it would never end, this hell. This torture. Was it her punishment for something? What had she done to deserve this? But finally, finally, it did end. One of the fat ones, he glanced up at the sky. "Boss. The sun's starting to rise. We better get out of here before the beggars wake up."

The leader ignored him. He continued thrusting into Ginny, moaning and panting. When he was finished, he stood up, smiling at her. "What should we do with her?" This was the skinny one with the dark skin and deep voice. He was the one that enjoyed beating her and then licking her blood off of her skin.

The ringleader contemplated. "Let's waste her. Wouldn't want her to live. That would be just cruel." She didn't miss the mocking tone of his voice. "Stand her up."

One of the fat ones grabbed her and pulled her to her feet. Ginny was too weak to stand on her own, so he held her up by her hair as the boss twirled his wand between his fingers. "How should we kill you? Should we make it quick…or let you suffer slowly?"

Hadn't she already suffered enough? Hadn't they put her through enough pain? Obviously not. He smirked and lifted his wand. "Sectumsempra!"

The curse hit her full in the chest. The spell slashed into her repeatedly, covering her body in deep gashes. They stung from the dirt and semen that got into them. The one holding her lifted her up in his arms and tossed her like a sack of potatoes, letting her land in a heap of garbage bags.

And then they were gone, as if nothing had ever happened. As if they hadn't just stolen her virginity and her life. They Apparated away without a second glance. They left her to die.

She wished she had died.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Harold ambled slowly along the cobblestone path, pushing his shopping cart. It was full of strange odds and ends he had picked up off of the streets and from garbage cans. A teddy bear with one eye falling out, a broken umbrella, a weathered, worn Bible, a chipped china glass. Right now he was looking for food. The hungry beggar pulled his jacket tighter as the rain started and pushed his cart down a deserted alley.

He stopped. There was a lone shoe, one of those ones teenage girls wore. What did they call them? Jane somethings? Either way, it was too small for his feet and without a match it wouldn't sell. He kept strolling until he ran across a skirt. The old man stopped, bending down to pick the thing up. It was a fairly nice thing, nothing fancy, but still worth a good bit of money.

He looked around the alley, sensing something was off. A broken wand lay in a corner. There was something dark and red on the ground. He dropped the skirt with a gasp.

An arm, a small hand attached, stuck out of the garbage heap. Harold hobbled over to it on shaky legs. He pulled off a trash bag, staring in horror. The girl's face, she couldn't be any older than a teenager, was covered in blood. The old man couldn't bring his eyes down to look at her body, but he could guess she was naked from all of the clothes strewn about. She was also covered in a bunch of cuts and bruises.

He crossed himself and backed up. Harold wanted nothing to do with this, nope. This kind of thing would get an old beggar like him in trouble…but still, should he tell the police where the body was? Wouldn't they ask questions then? He would be fined for digging through the garbage to say the least. And if they thought he was involved…?

He heard a soft moan. The beggar glanced down at the girl's face. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly and she made the painful noise again, wrenching at his heart. "My God," he whispered, "you're still alive."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Molly Weasley sat at her sons' table worriedly, her hands folded in her lap. Fred or George, she wasn't sure which, tried to offer her some food but she felt too sick to eat. She had already tried praying, for an hour she had sat there and prayed, something she rarely did, but still she got no answers.

Her daughter was missing. Her precious baby girl. Arthur, Fred, George, Ron, all had been out in the streets searching for her little girl. They had turned up nothing. They had filed a missing person's report but had yet to hear back from the police. They had even flooed all of their friends in the vain hopes that Ginny would have run away for whatever reason.

Nothing. Everything they tried led to dead ends. She had never felt so helpless in her entire life. Molly bent her head and began to pray again.

There was a knock at the door. They all scrambled to their feet and raced for it at once. Arthur reached it first, yanking it open so the handle came off in his hands. "Hey!" Fred complained. "You better pay for that." Her husband's sharp glance at their son made him quickly shut his mouth.

At the door stood one of the Ministry officers that patrolled the streets keeping order. Molly remembered speaking to the young man earlier when he questioned her as to where her daughter may be. He had a grave look on his youthful, inexperienced face. "Miss Weasley, Mister Weasley, you need to come with me to St. Mungo's immediately."

"St. Mungo's?"

"Did you find her?"

"Was she hurt?"

Molly pushed past her three sons and husband and grabbed the boy's collar. "_Where is my daughter?!_"

His face looked shocked at her tight grip. "At St. Mungo's, ma'am. A beggar found her and brought her there. He…she…she's been…"

"_What_?! She's been _what_?! Spit it out!"

He gulped. "Raped, ma'am."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ron felt numb as he stood in the hospital, staring at his little sister's lifeless body. They hadn't been allowed to see her for hours while the mediwitches and wizards tried to save her from death. They said after her attackers raped and beat her they cast Sectumsempra on her and left her in the trash to die. The doctors had healed all they could, however they couldn't get rid of the deep gashes the spell had left behind. Not with magic, anyway. Instead they had to stitch up the wounds manually and give them three days to heal with magical stitches. They said that because the wounds hadn't been treated immediately with dittany, they would leave horrible scars.

Ron remembered his father's reaction. The anguish in his voice as he yelled at the doctors. "You mean she's going to have a constant reminder of what…of what those men did to her?!"

"Yes, sir, we're sorry. There is nothing more we can do."

Ron rubbed his forehead tiredly. His little sister slept on; she had been unconscious for hours. The doctors believed she would wake up soon. Ron remembered what the doctors said when he and his family rushed in to St. Mungo's looking for her. A mediwitch approached them stiffly, holding a bunch of papers under her arm.

"Mister and Misses Weasley, please, come with me. You'll have to sign these forms granting your permission to do a routine rape procedure on your daughter." She handed them the forms as they paced down the hallway, towards Ginny's room he assumed.

"A what?" Molly Weasley looked confused.

The nurse was patient. "When a rape victim comes into our hospital, we do a procedure, with their permission, to gather evidence of the rape for a trial. We also prevent the victim from getting diseases or becoming pregnant. However, because your daughter is underage and unconscious, you have to sign these forms granting permission to do so. You can, of course, refuse, but we highly recommend it."

"What do these procedures include?" His father asked warily.

"We take semen samples and comb her for any pubic hairs that may belong to her attackers. Also, we take photographs for evidence."

"_Photographs_?" Arthur looked appalled.

"If there is a trial there has to be evidence of what was done to her. It is standard-"

Arthur stuck his face in the mediwitch's, their noses touching. "_You mean other people are going to see what happened to her_?! Do you have any idea…the humiliation…" He seemed unable to speak in his anger.

"That is what I mean, sir."

They stared at each other for a long time, Arthur's face filled with ill-contained rage, the nurse's cold and blank. Like she was used to this reaction.

"Do it, but no photographs." He finally relented.

The nurse nodded and headed off to tell the doctors trying to save Ginny, or so Ron guessed.

And now here he stood, staring at his sister's sleeping face. It didn't look right. Usually she was so alive, so vibrant and happy. To see her lying on this hospital bed with Muggle tubes and monitors attached to her, her face pale and what he could see of her body covered in wounds…it was just…wrong.

But he knew somehow it would be even worse once she woke up.


	2. Runaway

A/N: Chapter two, yay! Thank you for all your reviews. I know I can't answer them all personally, there are so many, but I do read and enjoy each one. So, I hope you all continue to read my story and write me reviews.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Tired of being what you want me to be  
Feeling so faithless lost under the surface  
Don't know what you're expecting of me  
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes  
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)  
Every step that I take is another mistake to you  
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)

I've become so numb I can't feel you there  
I've become so tired so much more aware  
I'm becoming this all I want to do  
Is be more like me and be less like you

-Numb by Linkin Park

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

She was floating. Floating on a cloud high above the world, a cold breeze blowing over her. It sank into her bones and chilled her, making her numb. White clouds above her filled her vision and the blinding light of the sun was in her eyes. Was this death? Was she ascending? She felt as if she were falling. The weight of her waking body filled her, and it was painful. The floating feeling disappeared.

Ginny's vision came into focus. The clouds weren't clouds at all, but a white ceiling, white walls, white curtains around her bed. The sun was actually a blindingly bright Muggle light that hurt her eyes. Where was she? She certainly wasn't in a cloud. She could feel the hard edges of the thin mattress under her and when she tried to move her arm it felt as if something was stuck under her skin.

Her senses worked slowly. After her sight and feeling were back, then the voices started. Ginny searched what little of the room she could see for the source. There, in the corner on chairs, her mother and father. She counted all six of her brothers. What were Bill, Percy, and Charlie doing here? They had all left the Burrow to find work out in the Wizarding world. She hadn't seen them in months, usually only at holidays, especially Percy, the prick, always pretending he wasn't related to them. Why were they here now? And why was she in a hospital bed?

"Shh!…Ginny…are you awake sweetie?" Her mother rushed to her side. Her face looked concerned and fearful. What had happened to put this foreign look on her mother's face? "How are you feeling, dear?"

"What do you mean?" Ginny sat up, or tried to at least, but her skin suddenly pulled tight. She glanced down at her arm. There was a deep gash along it partially healed and stitched up. Her other arm had a needle stuck under it. Ginny felt as if the gashes were all over her body and suddenly she became afraid. How had this happened? Why couldn't she remember anything? "Mommy…what…what happened to me?"

Mrs. Weasley's face looked surprised. Ginny's father came into her line of vision, and the two shared a glance. Ginny knew her parents well enough to know they were fighting, silently, over something. What it was she couldn't tell. Finally, Arthur turned his face down to his daughter. "What can you remember, Gin?"

She thought hard. Thought back to her last memory. She had been at her brothers' store doing inventory. Then she left. Why? To take a package to somebody, that was it, but it was getting late and the sun was setting, so she took a shortcut through Knockturn Alley. And then something happened. Something horrible…

Her parents jumped back as Ginny suddenly began to look sick. Arthur Weasley grabbed a pail and held it under her head as she threw up everything that was in her stomach and continued to heave dryly. Her brothers reacted in different ways. Ron jumped up to help her but his mother told him to leave her be. Fred and George sat on the chairs with horrible looks on their faces, not like when they played a prank and weren't really sorry for it, but as if they had done something unimaginable and now were feeling a terrible, foreign guilt. Percy jumped up and left the room at the sight of the vomit and nobody stopped him. Charlie, ever the sensible one, called for a nurse while Bill came around the other side of the bed and brushed her hair back out of her face so it didn't get messy.

Ginny didn't notice any of these things. All she could think about, all she could remember, were their faces, covered in masks, pulled up in cruel smiles, their voices mocking her, their hands touching her, beating her, defiling her. It all came back suddenly and overwhelmingly, crashing over and consuming her until she was there again, reliving those horrifying hours when they stole her virginity. The ground was cold and hard against her open wounds, their bodies heavy on top of her, their voices, his voice, cruel in her ears. And the pain. The pain was unbearable…

"Miss Weasley! Miss Weasley, come to your senses!" Ginny woke from her nightmare with a startling jolt. The nurse was standing above her while her brother Bill, mother, and father held down her arms and legs. She must have been thrashing. Had she fallen asleep? But the dream had seemed so real, too real. And yet, she hadn't really been asleep. Only a few minutes had passed since she had woken up and remembered what happened to her.

"Miss Weasley, you gave us quite a fright." That was the nurse again. "How are you feeling?"

"I…" her voice sounded hoarse and foreign to her ears. "I remember…" She choked on the words.

The nurse gave her a pitying look. "Do you remember everything that happened to you, Miss Weasley?" Ginny nodded, not trusting her voice. "I see…" The woman turned to Arthur and Molly. "It's getting late. Visiting hours were over long ago and you should probably go home now and get some rest. Come back in the morning."

Her mother and father argued silently again before nodding. "C'mon kids, let's go," Arthur said in his commanding voice.

"See you tomorrow, sweetie." Ginny's mother leaned over, kissing her on the forehead, her eyes teary.

The nurse led them out and returned a few minutes later with a vial in her hand. "Drink this, Miss Weasley. It will make you feel better."

"What is it?" She stared down at the potion in her hands.

"A dreamless sleeping draught. Now drink up and get some rest."

She wasn't particularly tired, but it seemed the nurse wasn't going to leave until she drank it, and Ginny wanted to be alone. She choked it down and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Images and voices swarmed through her head, all of _them_, as her eyes began to droop. Within a few minutes she was asleep.

Even with the dreamless sleeping draught, she had nightmares about _them_.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco silently crept to his drawer, pulling out his clothes and tossing them in his suitcase. He grabbed as much as he could fit in it, knowing he was never coming back. He packed anything of value in his room including a candle, blanket, pillow, all of his money, and food, which he put in the bag he would carry on his back. If worse came to worse and he did get caught, he could drop the suitcase and just make a run for it with his pack.

Draco tucked his wand into the inside pocket of his traveling cloak and grabbed his broom from where he had it stored under his bed. He looked around his bare room one last time before picking up his bags and heading out the door. He just had to make it down one flight of stairs and to the other end of the hall where there was a fireplace he could floo from.

The boy crept silently down the stairs, thinking to himself. Finally, freedom. His father wouldn't, couldn't make him stay. Not now that the day was set for his coronation. His father hadn't told him, of course, that he was supposed to be receiving the Dark Mark tomorrow. Draco had found out on his own when he was spying on his mother and father talking in the foyer. His father had set the date without telling him, knowing Draco would try to run away if he found out. Draco's resistance to Voldemort and his Death Eaters had become obvious to Lucius two years ago. Ever since the Quidditch World Cup, when Draco watched his father kill innocent half-bloods, he had wondered if following in his father's footsteps and becoming a Death Eater was really what he wanted. It took him a year to finally realize it wasn't, and that was when he came clean to Lucius and expressed his feelings.

That was also when the beatings started. Lucius would beat him on a regular basis, until it became habit. Thankfully Draco was gone most of the year at Hogwarts, so he only had to put up with the man over the summer and on holidays. His mother never did anything to stop the abuse. She feared Lucius, the man was no easier on her than he was on Draco, and besides, she did not love her son. The beatings had gotten worse since Draco arrived home this summer, knowing his father wanted him to join the Death Eaters over the holiday.

Draco had been planning to run away for weeks now, but when he found out his father had set the date for the next day, he knew it was now or never. The young Malfoy was done with this, done with his father's beatings and his mother's feigned ignorance of them. He was leaving tonight and he wasn't looking back.

Draco heaved a sigh of relief. He had reached the fireplace without any trouble from the House Elves or Lucius. He quickly strode over to it, reaching his hand in the cup beside the mantel that usually held floo powder.

His hand hit air. The cup was gone. No. This was impossible. He had double checked this morning to make sure the floo was there, in the cup, full. It hadn't needed cleaning, so the House Elves couldn't have taken it…He froze. A shuffle, behind him, the obvious clearing of a throat. "Are you looking for this, Draco?"

Draco turned slowly to find his father behind him, sitting in the shadows in a lounge chair. He held the small urn of floo powder in his hand. Draco's eyes locked on it. "How did you know?"

"I have my sources." There was a fluttering of wings and Draco's eagle owl landed on his father's shoulder. He was right to not have trusted the thing. It had been bought and trained by Lucius, and Draco had never sent a personal letter with it. But then…how?

"She brought me this today. I was very curious as to why you had it." Lucius held up a piece of paper and Draco cursed. It was his application to have his private bank transferred to a different name. He had sent it in weeks ago to Gringott's and wondered why he never heard back from them. Now that Lucius knew about it, he would most likely cancel the change and make it impossible for Draco to withdraw any money. "She had to fight a Gringott's delivery owl for it. You weren't planning on running away now were you, Draco?"

The boy steadied his breathing and squared his shoulders. "Of course. Did you think I would stick around here? I have nothing to stay for."

Lucius's lip twitched. He stood and Draco's hand reached for his wand inside his cloak. The two stared each other down. "You _will_ be coronated tomorrow Draco, and you _will_ become a Death Eater."

"No, Father. I am tired of you controlling my life. Being a Death Eater is your dream and you can't force it on me." They began to circle like wild animals. "You can not stop me from leaving."

"Is that so?" As soon as he saw his father's hand twitch towards his pocket Draco reached for his wand, pulling it out and throwing the first curse that came to mind. Lucius dodged it easily with an elegant twist of his body before throwing one back. Draco threw up a shield at the last moment. It wavered against the Unforgiveable but thankfully held. "I see you're finally learning how to fight, Draco." Lucius's voice was taunting.

"At least they teach us something at Hogwarts." He held his wand up and stood in the stance he had been taught. Lucius was between him and the fireplace now. Damn, he had let his father maneuver him into this position. He had a wall to his back and his eagle owl guarding the door, ready to peck his eyes out if he made a run for it. The only thing he could do now was fight his father, and he was no match for the older Malfoy. Draco's wand shook in his hand. "Well, what'll it be Father? The Cruciatus? Or perhaps you'll just disable me and then beat me senseless with your cane again?"

Lucius's smirked. "You know me too well, Son. No, I think the whip. You seem to like that one."

Draco couldn't hold back a wince. The whip was the worst. Its pain was sharp and stinging and you could feel as your skin split open from it. Luckily he had learned to heal cuts long ago, but those were always harder. "All the more incentive for me to leave."

He wasn't fast enough for the next spell his father sent at him. It hit him full in the chest, sending him flying back against the wall and hitting his head. Draco landed on his arm, hearing it break more than feeling it, but before he could react Lucius was on top of him, his hands wrapped around his son's neck. Draco tried to fight him off but with his arm pinned under him, and in excruciating pain, it was hard. The man continued to choke him until his vision went blurry and his hearing stopped altogether.

He was going to die. Lucius was truly going to kill him this time, he knew. He couldn't breath, couldn't move a muscle. Darkness started at the edges of his vision and began to close in on him. Why, damnit?! He was almost free!

Draco reached out for his wand with his fingertips. It brushed them teasingly, just out of reach. He rolled it towards his hand, got it in his grip, but he couldn't speak to say a spell. Draco forced his broken arm up, clawing at Lucius's hands. He gasped out, almost inaudibly, "Stupefy." The spell was weak but it did its job, knocking Lucius out.

He sat up with a gasp, wheezing and rubbing at his neck. The young man glanced down at his arm, wincing. The bone was sticking out of the flesh at the elbow. He could heal cuts and bruises, but not broken bones. Draco would have to go to St. Mungo's again and they would ask questions. Especially if they noticed his traveling cloak and bags. He would just have to leave those outside in the bushes somewhere.

Draco heaved himself off of the floor and stumbled to the fireplace with his luggage. He was thankful the ban on underage magic had been removed this summer. He couldn't begin to imagine the hell he would have to go through to get into Hogwarts with _that_ on his record. Of course, it was only taken away so that young Death Eaters could practice on Muggles and Mudbloods. Still, he couldn't cast any spells once he left his father's house. Lucius had many connections at the Ministry and would be able to trace any of Draco's spells to his location. He grimaced and counted in his head as he hopped from fireplace to fireplace towards St. Mungo's. He would have to go five weeks without magic. By then he would be back at Hogwarts and safe from his father, or so he hoped.

He wondered what he was going to do until then with just his luggage and the money in his pocket.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny awoke suddenly, sitting upright in bed. She was panting and sweating and knew she had been having a nightmare, but with the sleeping draught she couldn't remember it clearly. The girl stared around the dark room, her eyes dashing from one shadowy corner to the other. The moon spilled light into her hospital room from outside. The dead silence of the place, with the exception of her breathing and the hum of Muggle machines, filled her ears, overwhelming her. Ginny tried to remember what had woken her but a tightening of her bladder in her abdomen suddenly shed light on that question.

The redhead pulled herself out of the bed, being careful not to brush any of her still-healing cuts on the cot. The nurse, after she had woken up, had pulled the needles out of her arm and taken away the equipment monitoring her, claiming that they had finished refilling the blood she had lost from the spell and that now she was awake she could eat and drink on her own. That was fine with Ginny; she hated having all of those Muggle devices stuck in her skin and beeping by her ear. It also made it easier to leave her bed now.

The girl pattered barefoot to her door, opening it a crack and peeking out. The hallway was lit with the occasional ceiling light, but there was nobody on it. She stepped out into it, the tile cold on her bare feet and a breeze going up her hospital gown, chilling her. Ginny followed the hallway a few turns until she finally found the loo and, quite uncomfortably, did her business. It was painful and she realized she was bleeding lightly, probably from what those men had done to her. Ginny pushed the thought out of her head so she didn't become sick again.

It was when she was trying to find her way back to her room that she saw him. Walking past a waiting room with a reception desk, Ginny glanced to her left to find her eyes locking with another's. A boy stood before a desk filling out paperwork while a nurse examined his right arm, which appeared to be broken. He looked up, staring at her, through her, with dark grey eyes the color of steel. His blonde hair had blood in it and his clothes were torn, like he had gotten into a fight. They stared at each other, both seeming surprised, for what seemed like an eternity as they wondered why the other was there. Finally, Draco Malfoy lowered his eyes when the nurse spoke. "It's broken, all right, and I can heal it but you'll have to stay here overnight, Mister Malfoy. How did you say this happened?"

"I was practicing Quidditch," he murmured, his eyes glancing back up at Ginny.

The nurse looked skeptical. "Quidditch? At midnight?" She checked a form. "This says you were in here two weeks ago for a twisted ankle."

"I fell down the stairs." The words sounded rehearsed to Ginny's ears.

"And a week before that for a dislocated finger."

"I…" He stopped, as if trying to remember something. "I got in a fight with a friend." Malfoy's voice was worried.

"Mister Malfoy, if there is something going on in your home-"

The nurse was cut off by a voice behind Ginny. It was another mediwitch, one she hadn't met. "Miss, what are you doing out of bed at this hour?" He smiled at her tiredly.

The other nurse looked up, surprised to see Ginny there. "Miss Weasley, you should be resting."

"I'm sorry…I needed to use the loo," she whispered.

The nurse nodded. "Fine, fine, James, could you escort her back to her room? Number 273."

Ginny couldn't stop staring at Draco Malfoy as the mediwitch put a hand on her elbow, murmuring something about needing more sleeping draught. She merely nodded to him and kept her eyes locked with Malfoy's until she could no longer see him without craning her neck. Even as she turned her head and walked away she felt his eyes on her back, following her.

And she wondered to herself, why was Draco Malfoy at St. Mungo's? She knew he was rich enough to get a mediwitch to come to his house any time he was hurt or sick. And why was he staring at her so intently with those hooded gray eyes?


	3. Stories

A/N: Here it is, chapter three. I'll be going on vacation soon for two weeks and I'm not sure if I'll get another update before I leave, so if I don't, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Until next time!

And thank you again for all the reviews!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away  
I keep your photograh; I know it serves me well  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

'Cause I'm broken when I'm open  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough  
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away

-Broken by Seether (ft. Amy Lee)

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

They let Ginny leave the next day. The mediwitch told her after her wounds healed the stitches would disappear on their own, so she wouldn't have to come back. She was thankful for that. Ginny hated this hospital with its sterile white walls and cold floors and bright lights.

As her parents wheeled her out in a wheelchair (the nurse insisted it was standard procedure) Ginny saw him again. Draco Malfoy. He had his arm in a cast and a bandage on his head. Their eyes met for a split second before she was wheeled out of his line of vision.

She remembered that first night back home clearly. It dawned on her, quite suddenly, that since the…incident, she had not showered. Sure, the nurses had cleaned the blood off of her, but she herself had not been able to wash her body. Ginny ran up to the bathroom she shared with her brothers, stripping off the clothes her mother had brought her from home and turning on the water to scalding hot.

She kneeled in the shower as the water poured down her, scrubbing at her skin until it was red and raw and crying. The tears didn't seem to want to stop flowing. And it seemed, no matter how hard she scrubbed, she couldn't wash herself clean. She was stained. Stained by their dirty hands, their bodies, their words. She broke down then, away from everyone else, and didn't come out until long after the water had run cold and her hands became pruny.

When she was going downstairs later that night to eat dinner she heard her parents speaking. Stopping at the top of the stairs where she was out of sight, Ginny craned her neck and listened to their conversation. They were at the fireplace talking to someone whose voice she didn't recognize.

"We have her clothes here from the crime sight, Misses Weasley. And her wand. It's broken in two." The voice was very formal and apologetic.

"Thank you," her mother whispered and she heard the rustling of cloth and the whooshing noise the fireplace made when somebody left by floo. There was silence in the room.

"What should we do with her clothes, Mum?" Ron's voice. A pregnant pause.

"Burn them. Burn it all. Don't let her see." Ginny thought she heard her mother crying.

"Her wand? We can't afford a new-" Fred was interrupted by her mum.

"Burn it all! Just…get rid of it. We'll get her a new one."

Ginny crept upstairs when she heard footsteps coming her way. From her bedroom window she stared at the bonfire as her brothers tossed everything on it that she had been wearing that night. In the flames she could see _his_ eyes. The eyes of her rapists.

At home, her parents didn't seem to know what to do with themselves. They fussed over her, her mother cooking pans and pans of Ginny's favorite foods, even though she insisted she wasn't hungry. Her father paced, sometimes looking angry, other times just helpless. Her brothers were silent, each of them coping in their own way. And in the midst of it Ginny sat and stared blankly at the wall.

Days passed in this way. Sometimes her parents would try to talk to her. That was the worst. She didn't want to talk about what had happened. She didn't want to remember it. She just wanted…to be honest, Ginny didn't know what she wanted. She wanted her life back. She wanted to rewind, to start over, to pretend this had never happened. She wanted to be left alone.

That was the problem. Nobody would leave her alone. They came and went, her brothers, her parents, her friends. All offering their condolences, as if someone had died. Harry came, Hermione with him, but Ginny had the feeling it was more to comfort Ron than herself. He walked into her bedroom where she sat alone, staring out the window, and stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Finally, the raven-haired boy stepped over to her bed and sat on the edge of it, staring at his hands.

"Ginny…" His voice was quiet. "I…I'm sorry…"

Why did they always say that? That they were sorry? It was not as if they had committed the crime. And more, there was nothing they could do to fix it. So why apologize? It annoyed her to hear those words again and again. So she said nothing in return.

"I…I know what I said about breaking up…and…" He fumbled over his words. The breakup? Why was he talking about that? It was last year, after Dumbledore died. It was before _this_ happened. It didn't matter anymore. Ginny had thought she loved Harry once, and when he told her he wanted to end their relationship, the pain was so unbearable she thought she would not move on. But now…now it seemed trivial. "I…I was just trying to protect you…" Neither of them said it, though they both shared the same thought. _What good that did. _Harry cleared his throat. "I just want you to know…I'm here for you…and what I said about breaking up…well, I didn't mean it…"

Ginny was suddenly overcome with anger. What gave him the nerve to think she wanted him back? After all she had been through, did he think this would help her? She did not let her face show her anger, but merely whispered, so he could barely hear, "You don't want me, Harry. After all, I'm used goods." The bitterness rolled off her tongue and there was no fake smile on her face, no joking tone of voice. Harry stared at her in shock, as if she were a stranger.

"Ginny, that's not…I mean…we can work this out…we…" He was at a loss of words to say. She knew it was the truth. She could see how uncomfortable he was around her, knowing what those men had done to her. He didn't want to touch her, as if she were infected. As if he would catch some deadly disease or her bad luck would wash off on him. The truth of her words hung between them and she hoped that would be the end of their conversation.

But it wasn't. Of course not. He had to play the hero, try to save her. He was too late for that. Harry reached over, his hand brushing her hair. Ginny flinched away from him. "You have such pretty red hair, Ginny."

That's what triggered it. Those words. Pretty red hair. Those words, his voice, echoed in her head, again and again, until it became _his_ voice. And it felt as if she were falling, falling into a black oblivion and she couldn't stop, couldn't block out the voices, the touches, the screams, her screams. And before she knew it she was back _there_ again, in that alley, and they were touching her, defiling her, raping her. And he was there, the leader, whispering in her ear. _Such pretty red hair. _And she was screaming, screaming at the top of her lungs and trying to fight him off, trying to make him stop. _Please stop._

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Harry stared in shock as Ginny began screaming, then thrashing. When he tried to grab her, to keep her from hurting herself or him, she tried to fight him off. She was crazed, her pupils dilated, her eyes unfocused. She clawed and bit at him, forcing him to jump back out of her reach. And no matter how he tried to talk to her, to stir her from this waking nightmare, she didn't seem to hear him.

There were footsteps on the stairs and the door burst open, a swarm of male Weasley's falling into the room. Arthur ran to Ginny's bed, grabbing at her, but it only seemed to make things worse. Ron turned on him, his eyes blazing, his wand raised at Harry's throat. "What did you do to my sister?!"

Harry lifted his arms in shocked surrender. "Nothing, I swear! All I did was touch her! She just started screaming."

Arthur was lifting his still-thrashing daughter in his arms. "Let's get her to the hospital. Now." His voice was a barking command, something Harry had never heard from the soft-spoken Mister Weasley. The group rushed Ginny back to St. Mungo's only a week after she had left the place, ignoring the stares the patients and visitors sent Ginny's way. The mediwitches had to sedate Ginny to get her to calm down, and by then she was so worn out from yelling and fighting that she passed out.

Harry stayed by his girlfriend's side. Or was she? She hadn't seemed ready to accept him back, not that he could blame her, after leaving her at Dumbledore's funeral like that. And he thought he was protecting her…how stupid of him to think she would be safe without him. He held her hand as he listened to Arthur and Molly Weasley talk to the mediwitch.

"What's wrong with my daughter? Why is she acting this way?" Molly's voice was fearful.

The nurse sat them down. "Misses Weasley, I believe your daughter is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." The nurse answered their questioning looks. "We often see it in soldiers after war, but it can occur in assault victims as well. Some symptoms of this disorder are flashbacks, like what your daughter experienced today, in which the victim relives the incident. Anything from certain sounds to smells to feelings can bring back these memories and quite suddenly."

There was silence as they absorbed this, and then, "Is there any cure?"

"No potions that we know of can cure it, no. But often psychological therapy can. We suggest you take her to see our therapist here at the hospital."

"We…we don't have enough money for one."

The nurse looked upset. "We used to have a free clinic but with the Ministry making cuts, we couldn't keep it open. I'm sorry." Ginny's parents glanced at the sleeping girl despondently. Harry would have offered to pay if he thought the Weasley's would listen to him, but he knew how stubborn and proud they could be when it came to money. He kept his mouth shut.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Rita Skeeter was in a rut. It seemed no matter where she looked she couldn't find a good story anywhere. All of the talk surrounding Dumbledore's death was starting to wind down. Harry Potter, usually her favorite victim, wasn't doing anything particularly out of the ordinary for her to report on. Her current assignment, researching the possible use of Pygmy Puff meat in Hogwarts's school food, was dull and very unjuicy. Yes, Rita Skeeter needed a story, a good story, and she needed it bad.

Ask and you will receive. Her perfect story fell into her lap in mid-June. Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter's ex-girlfriend, who was recently raped in an alley, was taken to St. Mungo's in the middle of a panic attack. Of course, none of that really interested Rita. No, the inspiration for Rita's idea came from the facts that 1) Ginny Weasley claimed her attackers were Death Eaters and 2) the Weasley family was known for being incredibly poor. The ideas were swarming in Rita's mind, itching to be written down, before she even had the chance to finish eating her lunch.

Without even bothering to give her idea to her boss (or finish her salad) she was out the door, headed for the Ministry where she would find the location of the Weasley household, known as the Burrow. Rita Skeeter had an interview to get.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

After Ginny's breakdown the reporters started coming, all looking for a story or an interview. They stood outside her house bothering her parents for hours. At first her family tried to ignore them, then her brothers went outside, threatening their lives if they didn't leave them alone. That made some of them hightail it, but not all. Finally Ginny, tired of it all, stepped onto the porch and meekly asked if they would leave, as they were disrupting her sleep. Most of them, after taking her picture, found pity in their hearts and packed up and left. Most of them.

Some stayed. After the night those few that stayed dwindled down to just four. A day later there were only three. Then two. And then just the one. And she _didn't_ leave. For two weeks she camped on the edge of her parent's property, watching the house. Despite the threats, despite the pleas, despite her father going to the Ministry and requesting someone to force her to leave, she still stayed there. Ginny learned her name from Harry. Rita Skeeter. She was the reporter that liked to make him look bad in the Daily Prophet. She was a sneaky, horrible woman, more of a Rottweiler, really, who sank her teeth into a story and didn't let go until she got it.

Finally, fed up, Ginny went out there in the middle of the night. Her parents had told her to stay away from the woman, claiming she was no good and she would be gone when she got tired of sleeping in a tent. Harry had described how she could twist words and warp the truth. Ginny didn't heed their warnings. After all, what could this woman do to her that would be any worse than what those men had already done?

When Ginny finally made it to the edge of the woods Rita Skeeter was waiting outside her tent for her. The woman gave her a falsely sweet smile that Ginny didn't return. "If I give you an interview, will you leave?"

The reporter held open the tent flap. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco got a job. Yes, the Draco Malfoy, who had never worked a day in his life, got a job. After he was allowed to leave the hospital he went to the Leaky Cauldron. It seemed the only logical solution. The first night he stayed there his father showed up, ready to kill him. He could see the gleam in the man's crazed eyes as he held his wand to Draco's throat, who still lay in bed half-asleep. The two stared at each other for a long time before Draco finally spoke.

"You know if you hurt me or try to force me to go home, someone will report you. The owner and about twenty witnesses saw me get a room here this afternoon. You won't get away with it."

Draco knew that was why Lucius hadn't killed him yet. "Clever little bastard." The man finally straightened up, putting his wand in his cloak. Draco was surprised he was thinking so rationally and not beating him to a bloody pulp. "You may be safe for now, but trust me boy, if you step out of this building I will know and I _will_ get you." With those parting words, Lucius apparated away with an angry bang.

Draco didn't see him again. Of course, Draco only left the inn at midday when it was the brightest and there were the most people milling about. But soon his money began to run low and he knew he couldn't afford to stay there anymore. That was when he put away his pride (he had already buried most of it when he ran away from home to live on his own) and begged Tom the innkeeper to give him a job. The man, miraculously, agreed, allowing Draco to work as a waiter serving drinks. In return he got room and board for free and could keep whatever tips he was given. To be honest, now that he was seeing the world through new eyes and all, he knew he had it good.

Draco read about her in the papers, just like everyone else. At first, it had just been a side article "Girl raped in Knockturn Alley" and "Death Eaters may be involved in the rape of teenage girl." Things like that. He first saw the article in a newspaper a customer had left on his table and was going to trash it when he saw her picture. It was the same girl from the hospital, the one he caught staring at him. He knew she was a Weasley but he never could remember her first name. From the article he learned her name was Ginny and that she had been raped somewhere in Knockturn Alley by a group of Death Eaters. That was about all the article stated. He couldn't stop staring at her picture, though. It was an old picture of her from two years ago, according to the caption. She had flaming red hair, a scatter of freckles across her tanned cheeks, and bright chestnut brown eyes. And she was laughing and smiling as if she didn't have a care in the world. For some reason Draco found himself attracted to that smile, and he cut the picture out, keeping it in a drawer in his room.

But those articles didn't get much publicity, and soon everyone forgot about the rape incident, everyone except Draco. Yes, Ginny Weasley's rape case was old news and long forgotten to the public when Rita Skeeter's article was released, stirring up trouble and causing quite a lot of controversy. Draco was reading it…for the twenty-seventh time. Every time he did it made his blood boil just a little bit more.

Ginny Weasley: Rape Victim or Poorly-Paid Escort?

Many of you have read recently in the papers about the Ginny Weasley case, a girl who was supposedly raped in an alley by Death Eaters. I read the same story as all of you and had to admit, it didn't add up. For one, what was a seventeen year old girl doing in Knockturn Alley in the middle of the night? And why, when she didn't return home, did nobody go out looking for her? And if she was actually raped by Death Eaters as she claimed, why had they not left their tale tell Dark Mark in the sky that night?

My curiosity peaked, I went to the Weasley household in search of the young girl. Unfortunately, her family, consisting of her two parents, six brothers, and two friends Hermione Granger and Harry Potter (which you can read about in my other articles), was less than friendly. After making threats on my life they forced me to the edge of their property where I had to sleep outside in the woods with little shelter or food for two weeks. But I did not give up easily. No, I am a fighter and do not take to intimidation, so I camped out there watching Ginny Weasley for some time, and eventually, I was rewarded.

The girl came outside to me in the middle of the night offering to give me an interview. I've included this picture of her and you can see she clearly is not in a stable mental state. She is covered in cuts, whether they are self-inflicted or a result of her supposed rape, and her hair is very short and choppy, as if she cut it herself with a crude knife. When I questioned her about her appearance she would not answer.

I kept my concern, and fear, to myself and began the interview. It went as such:

Me: "What is your name?"

Ginny Weasley: "Ginny Weasley."

Me: "How old are you, Ginny?"

Ginny Weasley: "I would prefer if you just call me by my last name, thank you. I'm seventeen."

Me: "Okay, Miss Weasley. What happened on the night of June 5th?"

Ginny Weasley: "I was…raped." (I noted the pause in my journal).

Me: "And who raped you, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny Weasley: "I…I don't know. Death Eaters. They wore masks and robes, so I couldn't see their faces."

Me: "They didn't use names when talking to each other?"

Ginny Weasley: "No. At least, not that I heard. I don't remember much from that night. I had a concussion."

Me: "And how did you get a concussion? And all of those scars, for that matter?" This she refused to answer, so I asked another question. "Miss Weasley, is it true you have six brothers, all older than yourself?"

Ginny Weasley: "Yes."

Me: "And how would you rate your family's income? Average? Below average?"

Ginny Weasley: "Below average, I suppose."

Me: "And you have two guests staying with you as well, am I right? What are their names?"

Ginny Weasley: "Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."

Me: "Ahh, how is your relationship with Harry?"

Ginny Weasley: "That's rather personal. Can we please get finished with this?" (Referring to the interview).

Me: "Yes, of course. So, how do your parents manage to feed and clothe themselves, seven children, and your two guests? Especially considering your mother doesn't work."

Ginny Weasley: "Fred and George own the joke shop and only one of my brothers-"

Me: "Is it possible that you, Miss Weasley, were not raped at all, but that you merely had a bad encounter with one of your customers?"

Ginny Weasley (looking worried): "I don't understand what you mean."

Me: "Miss Weasley, just between us girls, have you ever worked on the streets? As an escort?"

Ginny Weasley: "Escort? Are you implying…I'm not a…I would never!" She stood suddenly, rushing towards the door.

Me: "Miss Weasley! How did you come across the five Galleons, ten Sickles, and three Knuts in your purse?" At this Ginny Weasley said some profane words I would rather not include before throwing a lamp at me.

Ginny Weasley: "This interview is over! Get away from my house!" With these parting words Ginny Weasley ran back to her home and I was physically forced to leave the property by her brothers. As I said, I do not usually give into intimidation, but this time I did for fear of my life.

Well, readers, do not be worried, I escaped the property unharmed and with my interview, which, as you can all see, clearly indicates that Ginny Weasley may not be as innocent as we all think she is. Look at the facts. She does not exactly have a clean record, having gotten into quite a lot of trouble at her school for mischievous behavior. Also, she has shown past behavior with a multitude of young men at her school that many might not consider suitable for a young girl (much of this behavior was with one Harry Potter). Not only that, the girl is incredibly poor and her actions when I questioned her about her lifestyle point to the conclusion that she was working the streets on the night of June 5th, whether to earn money for herself or because her family forced her I do not know. And finally, there were no signs of Death Eater involvement in the raping, no witnesses besides Miss Weasley herself, who admitted to a concussion to the head during the incident, no Dark Mark, and as we all know, the terrorist group known as Death Eaters has been out of action for almost eighteen years ever since the accidental vanquishing of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named by the young Harry Potter.

I can only conclude, from all of this evidence against Miss Weasley's case, that she was escorting a group of young men who became too rough for the girl to handle. Obviously, when her lifestyle was exposed to the public, she quickly claimed she was raped to protect her virtue (what of it is left). However, I will leave it to you, my readers, to decide for yourselves. Ginny Weasley: innocent rape victim or just poorly-paid escort?

Draco crumpled up the article angrily, throwing it at the wall. It didn't give him a satisfying thump that a heavier object might. He stared at the picture of Ginny he had cut out of Skeeter's article. She looked much different from his other cutout of the girl two years ago. If he hadn't known they were the same person he would have thought they were complete opposites. When she was in the picture (and not hiding somewhere else) her hair was short and choppy, her skin pale, the bags under her eyes noticeably dark. He couldn't see the scars Skeeter mentioned in the article, but he could guess. He had heard the Sectumsempra was cast on her, and he knew from experience, having been hit with it by Harry Potter, that it was a nasty spell and could leave horrid scars.

Draco thumped down onto his bed, running his fingers over the girl's face. She stared at him with a heartbreakingly sad expression, and he wondered, not for the first time, why he was so concerned with this girl he had never met. Why did he care so much about her?


	4. Obsession

A/N: I am finally back from vacation! Not that I wanted it to end (who does?) but I can update regularly again, woohoo! I must say, I did start going through withdrawals on my trip, with no computer to type on or reviews to read. So here it finally is, chapter four, and a bit longer than usual to make up for the long wait. Enjoy!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

All day staring at the ceiling  
Making friends with shadows on my wall  
All night hearing voices telling me  
That I should get some sleep  
Because tomorrow might be good for something

Hold on  
Feeling like I'm headed for a breakdown  
And I don't know why

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell  
I know right now you can't tell  
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see  
A different side of me

I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired  
I know right now you don't care  
But soon enough you're gonna think of me  
And how I used to be...me

I'm talking to myself in public  
Dodging glances on the train  
And I know, I know they've all been talking about me  
I can hear them whisper  
And it makes me think there must be something wrong with me

Out of all the hours thinking  
Somehow I've lost my mind

-Unwell by Matchbox 20

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

The stench of blood filled the air. Her blood. She could smell it there was so much. And the pain. The pain hurt so bad it made it hard to think. But he didn't care about how much pain she was in. All he cared about was his own sick, twisted pleasure as he forced himself inside of her again and again. The stone was cold and hard beneath her; her head was pounding from being slammed against it. She wanted to collapse to it, to curl up and die there in that alley on that cold, unforgiving stone ground, but they wouldn't let her. They had her down on her hands and knees, sharing her body, one of them, the leader, behind her where she couldn't see him, but she could feel him, it was impossible not to, while the other was in front of her, in her mouth. He slapped her whenever she gagged, then yanked her around by her hair.

And he whispered things in her ear, their leader. Always whispering in her ear. "This is your fault, you know? If you weren't so damn pretty, if you weren't always running around practically naked, we wouldn't have to do this, now would we? Would we?! Answer me!" She nodded. She couldn't speak. Even if the other one didn't have his…she couldn't even think the word…in her mouth she couldn't speak, her voice was too hoarse from screaming. "If you weren't such a damn whore we wouldn't have done this to you! It's your fault! Damn it! Stop crying!"

Ginny sat up suddenly in bed, gasping for breath. It took her a moment to calm her beating heart and realize it was just another nightmare, that they weren't there, they weren't hurting her again. Still, she searched the shadows for them, and once she was content that no men were in her room, glanced over at Hermione. The girl murmured in her sleep and turned over in her cot, but did not wake. Ginny was thankful for that. At least this time she hadn't woken up screaming.

The redhead lay back down in the bed, curling into a ball, but sleep would not come back to her. Not that this was new. Ever since the incident she hadn't been sleeping peacefully. Even with a dreamless sleeping draught she still had nightmares, and soon she stopped bothering to take it. It was too expensive for her mother to afford anyway. She stared at the sheet beneath her and hummed so she wouldn't cry, but she knew the tears wouldn't come anyway. After crying for so long, eventually your eyes dried up and you couldn't cry anymore. That was what had happened to her.

The moon shone into the room, bathing it in a blue glow. An owl hooted outside and crickets chirped from the heat. Ginny shivered, despite the fact that the temperature was so hot she had thrown her sheet off in her sleep and sweat made her clothes stick to her body. The breeze blew into her window, rustling her curtains and making her jump. She lay there for hours, thinking. Thinking about anything but what they had done to her.

She thought about what had happened after Harry came to visit her that day. When she got back home Ginny ran to her room and wouldn't come out for days. She took her scissors and cut her hair, not bothering to use a mirror. Ginny had covered all the mirrors up in her room anyway, not wanting to look at herself. She chopped and hacked at it until her once long, curly hair barely reached her shoulders and was uneven and jagged. When her mother saw it she started crying. Hermione offered to fix it with a potion, but Ginny wouldn't let her. She knew it made her ugly. She wanted to be ugly. Maybe if she were ugly…maybe it wouldn't have happened. They wouldn't have hurt her. It wouldn't have been her fault.

Ginny remembered the man that had come by the house a few days ago. He came with one of the officers that had questioned Ginny about her attackers after she got back from the hospital. He had a man with him, an old man with grey hair, wrinkles, and torn, soiled clothing. He smelled foul, like he hadn't had a shower in a long time. The officer introduced the beggar to her parents and her as the man that had saved her life. He nodded solemnly to her, asking how she was. The words left her before she could stop them, and they were so bitter they left a bad taste in her mouth. But once they were said, they couldn't be undone. "You should have left me to die. I _wish_ you had left me to die!"

She ran up the stairs then, but stopped just out of sight, listening to them. There was an awkward silence left in her wake. Then the old man spoke up. "Well, I should probably be leaving then. I wouldn't want to outstay my welcome…or stink up your nice house."

So he had noticed the way everyone backed away from him or tried to cover their noses. Her mother protested and apologized, but the man just left. Ginny escaped back into her room. Nobody came to scold her for her rudeness.

It had gotten lighter in her room; the sun was rising. Today was September 1st and they were returning to Hogwarts on the Express. Last night she had packed what little clothes and books she needed with her for the year. Most of her clothes, dresses, skirts, tank tops, short jean shorts, were still in her closet. They had all been untouched for months. Ginny only wore her old hand-me-downs now, given to her by her brothers. Big shirts and long pants and baggy sweaters and cloaks that hung off of her loosely and were too long, sweeping the ground. Her parents thought she wore them because she was sensitive about her scars and wanted to hide them, and in a sense that was true, but it was mostly to hide her body altogether. Perhaps if nobody saw her curves, her exposed skin, her long, curly hair, then what had happened to her wouldn't happen again. She wished she could turn back time so that it would have never happened at all.

Ginny pushed these thoughts away and stood quietly, dressing in her dark, baggy clothing and brushing through her hair. She avoided her reflection as she brushed her teeth in the bathroom, then crept silently downstairs with her luggage, leaving it by the front door. Her parents wanted to take a Muggle car, it had become a sort of tradition for them. She dreaded leaving the house again. In the months since her attack, she had left the house to go out in public only once. Her parents didn't want to take her back to Diagon Alley, after what had happened, but they had to get her a new wand. They flood straight to Ollivander's to look at the wands while her brothers bought her books so she wouldn't have to go outside. Ginny knew they didn't have the money for a brand new wand, but her parents didn't want to take her anywhere near Knockturn Alley, nor did they want to search for hours for a wand in a used wand shop.

Her parents gave Ollivander the measurement, core, and wood of her old wand while she stared around the shop, trying to look anywhere but out the window. Just the nearness of the crime scene was making her heart beat quickly in her chest and her palms sweat. She wanted to run screaming from the room, but going outside meant being closer to the place where it had happened. She felt trapped and sick to her stomach in the tiny, stuffy, dusty wand shop. Mr. Ollivander brought her out a wand similar to her old one, cedar wood with a unicorn hair core. She took it from him with a quiet "thank you" and was halfway to the fireplace before Mr. Ollivander stopped her with a request to try it out. Ginny wanted nothing more than to escape as quickly as possible, but she humored the older man while her parents counted out the money they had to pay for it (she had chipped in her pay from her brother's joke shop, after all, she had no more use for it). She took the wand out of the box and gave it a swish.

It felt awkward and clumsy in her hand and almost set something on fire in the process. Mr. Ollivander just clucked his tongue and took the wand away from her, heading down one of his many aisles of boxes, searching for something new. "It's just as I expected. When people undergo great changes in their lives and personalities, so must the wands that they wield. It should be an extension of your hand, not just a piece of splintery wood, Miss Weasley." He came back with another box. "Try this one."

Ginny took it out, turning the long wooden stick over in her hand. It was simply carved, plain, like her, and made of a dark red wood that was almost black in color. It had a smooth handle that fit her hand perfectly as well as feeling heavy enough that she knew it was there and light enough that it did not weigh down her hand. She gave it a swish and stared at the pretty red sparks that jutted out the end, which were brighter than they had ever been with her old hand-me-down wand.

Mr. Ollivander smiled. "Just as I thought. Cherry wood with a dragon heartstring core." He smiled at her and told her parents the price. Four Galleons, sixteen Sickles, and three Knuts. Her parents stared at him in shock, clearly not believing that to be the actual price, and when they tried to protest he merely smiled and shook his head. Despite them trying to argue to give them the real price, usually double or even triple that, he would not go any higher. Finally they put their pride away and paid him, heading towards the fireplace. This time, Ginny stayed behind. "Mr. Ollivander…what's really in this wand? It's more than just a dragon heartstring."

He smiled at her. "I always knew you to be a bright girl, Miss Weasley." He stared off into space, as if trying to remember something. "How about if I tell you the story of that wand." He didn't look at her as he spoke. "I was in the forest many years ago looking for some new wood to make a wand out of. While searching through the forest for the perfect tree, I heard the sound of a woman crying. I followed the sobbing noise until I found her. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen, even with tears streaming down her face, and when she saw me she seemed quite startled, though the tears didn't stop flowing, she was so distressed. Like any young man I approached her and tried to help the maiden out, not realizing her true nature. When I asked her what was wrong she told me Muggles had swept through her forest cutting down trees with their machines, destroying it. She seemed especially distraught that they had killed the fallen tree she lay beside, crying over. I realized then that she was a wood nymph and that this forest was her home, and that it had been cruelly destroyed. I took pity on her and told her of a larger, grander wood where she would find more trees and more creatures like herself, I'm sure you know the one I'm talking about."

Ginny realized he was looking at her. Quietly she murmured "The Forbidden Forest."

He nodded and went back to his story, his gaze again unfocused. "She was so grateful for this new home that she gave me a branch from the tree she had mourned over to make a wand out of. It was her tears that carved the intricate etches in it. I did not want to ruin the wand by putting a core in it, so she deftly strung a piece of her hair through it. I think the sadness over the death of her friend, and her elation over finding a new home after the destruction of her old one, are intertwined in this wand. It's a bittersweet tale that I would rather you not repeat. After all, then all of my customers would want such a unique wand as yours." He winked at her.

Ginny stared down at the wand in her hand in a new light. She noticed her parents standing by the fireplace waiting impatiently while pretending to browse the shop. She lowered her voice so only he could hear. "But why me?"

He smiled. "It suits you, Miss Weasley. The wood nymph that created this wand was both sad over her loss and bitter at the men that had destroyed her woods. But she was also on the brink of a new life, a _better_ life. Her wand could only be passed on to a woman in an equal situation, or else I would be a disgrace to her gift. This wand is meant to be yours. After all, it's as I always say, the wand chooses the wizard, Miss Weasley." With that he sent her away.

Sitting downstairs listening to the rushed traffic of her friends and family packing for the trip, Ginny pulled the wand out and turned it around in her hands. It felt right. Whole. As if it were made just for her. She only wished she could meet the wood nymph that had created it and thank her.

The traffic moved downstairs. Her brother, Harry, and Hermione rushed to finish packing. Her mother tried again desperately to feed her, but as usual she ate only a few bites before feeling sick to her stomach. Her father asked her if she was finished packing and when she pointed at her luggage by the door without a word he gave up on trying to carry on a conversation with her. In just a few hours they were riding to the train station, passing through the wall, and saying goodbye to their parents.

Ginny tried to ignore the witches and wizards around her as she boarded the train. Even though she kept her eyes downcast and her body folded as small as possible, she was acutely aware of the nearness of the other thousands of students. They had all read about her in the newspaper, but each of them treated her differently. Some gossiped and whispered about her behind her back or even right in front of her, others stared boldly in open curiosity, while some forced themselves not to stare in that way that made it obvious they knew you were right beside them. All of them avoided touching her like she was diseased, which she wasn't, the doctors had made sure of that. In the end her brother angrily pushed the four of them through the crowd and to an empty compartment. Ron gave her the window seat, her favorite, and she leaned her head against it, staring out as Platform 9 ¾ gave way to the city of London and eventually open countryside.

Ginny noticed an odd silence in the room where before there had been the buzz of chatter. She turned her eyes to the compartment without bothering to lift her head to find Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville and Luna, whom she hadn't noticed enter their compartment, staring at her, or rather, above her head. She opened her mouth to question them but Ron merely squeaked out, "Sp-sp-spider…Ginny, don't move…there's a really big spider over your head."

The girl glanced up to find a giant, hairy, pincered arachnid the size of her fist above her head, looking down at her. Ginny stared up at its hissing mouth, wondering if it would bite her. She realized she wasn't afraid of it or its rather pissed-off state. It couldn't hurt her any worse than she had already been, after all, and perhaps its bite would send her off into a fever-induced sleep that she would never wake from. She didn't hear Harry move, didn't even know he was behind her, until she saw the shoe slamming towards the wall, connecting with the spider's body.

Ginny screamed in unison with Ron, who jumped back. The dead spider, its eight legs curled up into its body, fell to the ground on its back. Where it had been there was a blood stain smeared on the wall. Ginny jumped up, pushing Harry away from her. "What did you do that for?!"

He looked surprised. So did everyone in the room. "Ginny, that thing could have killed you. It could have bitten you while you slept."

She glared at him. "That didn't mean you had to kill _it_, Harry!" The way it lay on the floor, so broken, so helpless, made her feel sick to her stomach. She pushed past him and out of the room, looking left and right for a place to hide. By now there wouldn't be any compartments left empty. Ginny turned towards the tail of the train and started running blindly until she reached the end, pushing out the back door.

She fell against the railing, wheezing for breath. The door creaked behind her in the breeze as she stared at the tracks rushing below. Ginny had never come to the end of the train, so she had never realized it had a small platform open to the sky and air with a set of stair steps leading down, the bottom step almost brushing the ground below. Ginny wondered if she jumped from the back of the train whether the fall would kill her or just be incredibly painful and leave her out here in the middle of nowhere with a set of broken bones and no one to find her. She was still contemplating this when she heard the door creak closed behind her, making her whip around in alarm, wand raised.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco was snoozing on the caboose of the train when he was woken by something heavy slamming against his head. He groaned and opened his eyes to find himself staring at the backside of the door and wondering who had opened it forcefully enough that it whipped around and hit him. He pushed it away from him, rubbing at his sore forehead, knowing there would probably be a bruise there, and found himself staring at a bundle of black cloth in the form of a person. He grabbed the rail, using it to hoist himself up, and opened his mouth to yell at the student when he caught sight of a flash of red hair. Draco stared, mouth still open, at what he realized was the backside of a girl being engulfed by layers and layers of clothing, despite the fact that it was September and still hot enough that he had taken off his shirt while he sat out here. He leaned against the door until it closed and latched into place behind him, the sound startling her.

The girl turned, wand raised at his chest level, eyes wide with fear and anger. She glared at him, glancing at his bare chest and then back up at his face. Her wand shook in her hand and she pressed herself against the railing as far away from him as possible. "Wh-what are you doing out here?!"

He crossed his arms over his bare chest, suddenly feeling naked. Compared to her, he practically was. "I was out here first. I should be asking why you're waking me up slamming a door into my face."

She looked surprised and her ears turned pink. "Oh…" Draco found himself staring in the long silence that stretched between them. Her hair was a mess, short and choppy in some places and longer in others. It could almost be one of those popular Muggle styles if it didn't look like she had whacked at it herself with hedge cutters. It was limp and tired and fell into her eyes like she was hiding behind it. Through strands of her red mane he could see her eyes outlined in familiar shadows caused by a lack of sleep and an overabundance of suffering. Her cheeks were thin, all of her was thin, and he could see her cheekbones and collarbone protruding unhealthily through the skin, looking like they might pierce through it at any moment. Draco observed a long thin scar trace down from her neck and disappear into her shirt where he knew there were more of them. Even in her baggy clothes he could see the slight outline of her body, stick thin, and her breasts, which, even with what seemed to be self-starvation, were noticeable. She was pale, especially against all those dark clothes, like she hadn't been outside all summer.

And yet, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever set eyes on. Ginny Weasley. The girl who everyone read about in Rita Skeeter's article. The girl whose pictures, one from when she was younger and one from after she was raped, he kept in his luggage, though he didn't know why. The girl he had spent all summer thinking about, the one he found himself strangely drawn to, even though she was a complete stranger to him. Here she was, just an arm's length away, her wand pointed at his heart.

The train suddenly lurched. Draco grabbed the rail to steady himself but Ginny was not so quick. She fell backwards, eyes wide in terror, over the short railing. One of her feet caught, stopping her fall, and her back hit the three stair steps that led to the ground. Her head stopped just above the ground, though her hair brushed the tracks below. Draco ran to her side, wrapping an arm around her waist and grabbing her arm, yanking her up. They fell backwards, Ginny on top of him, onto the platform.

He wasn't sure how, but her face ended up just a few centimeters from his own. He stared into her dark brown haunted eyes, feeling as if he were drowning in their depths. He lifted a hand to stroke her hair out of her face without thinking, the movement making her lurch away from him. She stood, backing away, and he hoisted himself up from the ground as well. They circled as if in a fight, until she had maneuvered herself next to the door. Without a word, no thank you, no angry yell, no asking if he was okay, she wheeled around and grabbed at the handle, yanking hard.

Draco's heart dropped. Then he realized she wasn't going, but still standing there, pulling on the handle. She rattled it, once, twice, three times, but the door would not budge. Even after she had comprehended this Ginny did not turn, did not acknowledge him, did not comment. She just stood there staring at the handle as if doing so would magically make it unlock.

Draco finally ventured to speak, though he wasn't sure if he trusted his voice. He was thankful it came out smooth and steady. "It seems we're locked out here."

"You knew it would do this," she accused, making it his fault that she couldn't escape from him back into the train. Actually, he hadn't known, but he didn't have a chance to tell her that. She was already moving away from the door and back to the railing. This time she sat down with her back against it, her legs up against her chest, her arms curled around them, and her chin resting on her knees. She watched him with angry eyes, studying his every move, ready to jump away if he came too close. Draco decided it would be best not to touch her, so he moved to the other side of the ledge, sitting down as well.

He didn't bother to mention that they could Alahamora the door open. Draco wanted her to stay there with him. The boy sat with one leg stretched out and his other one bent, his arm draped over the knee. He wanted to speak to her, but suddenly his throat felt dry, his mind blank. He couldn't think of anything to say. Finally Draco murmured "Are you okay?"

Ginny didn't look him in the eyes. She stared over his shoulder as she whispered, "Why do people ask that? They never want to know the answer. Not really."

He was surprised by the bitterness in her voice and by the honesty of her answer. Draco tilted his head to the side, suddenly feeling sad for this girl. "Maybe I really want to know. The real answer."

Her eyes flickered over to him and away again. Her face became angry. "I don't want your pity," she spat.

Again she had shocked him with the venom that left her mouth. For looking so broken, so sad and pathetic, she had a biting tongue when she chose to spoke. Draco narrowed his eyebrows, her anger rubbing off on him. "Don't flatter yourself Weasley, I wasn't giving it. I've got better things to do than spend my time concerning myself with your welfare. I just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt from the fall."

It was her turn to be taken aback. She stared into his eyes for just a few seconds before dropping hers down to her feet. "I'm fine."

"Good. I wouldn't want to have to explain to the nurse and your boyfriend Potter what I was doing alone with you." He couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice when he said Harry Potter's name. It was more than just the feud between him and the Boy Who Lived, it was the sudden realization that the object of his obsession was already taken, and by someone he couldn't possibly have competed with if he wanted to.

Ginny spoke to her shoes "Harry's not my boyfriend."

Draco tried to force down the sudden joy he found lifting in his heavy heart. He fought back the triumphant grin on his face. "Why not?"

She glared down at her scuffed, old shoes that had once been white but were now stained brown from dirt and mud and being passed down from her brothers. "That's none of your business."

He knew he was pushing it, he was lucky to get her to say this much, but he retaliated, "It's a simple question, Weasley."

This time she set her glare full on him. "No, it's not, and even if it were, I wouldn't tell you, Malfoy. I'm only out here because the bloody door is locked but that doesn't mean I'm going to make idle chatter with you for the next three hours, so get the thought out of your head. You're not my friend, you're not my professor, and you're not my mother, and I don't have to answer to you."

He found pity fill his heart. He wanted to ask her what had happened to change her from that bubbly little girl he had seen flirting with Harry Potter at the end of last year to this angry, broken woman. He wanted her to cry on his shoulder and spill her heart out to him. He wanted to, he suddenly realized, fix her, and not even for her own good, but for his own selfish reasons. He knew he had other motives, despite how he tried to convince himself he cared only about her self being. Draco was lonely. When he had set his eyes on her, alone on the platform with no one to intervene, no one to stop him from talking to her, he was filled with joy, despite how haunted she looked. It was sick and horrible of him, but he was almost happy to see her like this, as broken and alone as himself. If she was like him then maybe…maybe she would understand. Maybe she would be his friend. Maybe she would fix him.

But, Draco realized, Ginny Weasley was even more broken than himself. She couldn't heal him, she couldn't help him, not like this. That was when he decided it, sitting there on the back of the train, staring at the girl across from him, the girl who hated his guts and wanted nothing to do with him. First, before she could fix him, before she could be his friend and possibly more, he would have to heal her.


	5. Secrets

A/N: Hey guys! I know I haven't updated in a while and, unfortunately, my updates are going to start being less frequent. School starts in two weeks and I have a summer assignment I'm going to be working on nonstop to get done in time, then, once school does actually start, I'll be busy with homework. But I will try to get an update up every week, promise! Well, hope you enjoy!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

And when the sun descended and the night arose  
I heard my father cursing everyone he knows  
He was dangerous and drunk and defeated  
And corroded by failure and envy and hate

There were endless winters and the dreams would freeze  
Nowhere to hide and no leaves on the trees  
And my father's eyes were blank as he hit me again and again and again

I know I still believe he'd never let me leave  
I had to run away alone  
So many threats and fears - so many wasted years  
Before my life became my own

And though the nightmares should be over  
Now some of the terrors are still intact  
I'll hear that ugly coarse and violent voice  
And then he grabs me from behind and then he pulls me back

-Objects in the Rearview Mirror by Meat Loaf

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny stared at the dungeon wall, counting out the individual gray stones. Snape's monotonous voice droned on in the background, doing nothing to prevent the inevitable sleep that would soon overcome her. She shivered once, twice, wishing she had thought to bring a heavier cloak to these dreary dungeons, but knowing she was already overdressed enough to begin with, at least compared to the other students at Hogwarts. She wondered why she felt so cold more often, even when she was sitting outside in the heat of the sun yesterday at Care of Magical creatures. It was as if the rays could not pierce through her skin to warm her, no matter how long she sat there.

Ginny jumped slightly. She had dozed off, just for a moment, and her eyes had closed. She blinked them and tried to shake her head without drawing too much attention to herself. At least she had gotten a seat in the back of class this time. Snape wrote something on the board and Ginny copied it down, her hand feeling sluggish and her eyes going in and out of focus. She hadn't slept again last night. It seemed the insomnia had not been temporary—now it prevented her sleeping every night. She felt she should go to the nurse and ask for a draught, but she didn't want to have to answer any of her prying questions, nor did she want the woman to tell her parents. So instead she spent most of the night lying in bed trying to fall asleep and jumping at every sound, and most of the day trying not to doze off. You would think all of those hours spent awake would give her plenty of time to do homework, but she was practically incapacitated with tiredness.

There was a loud snapping noise, the feeling of air whipping past her face, and the sound of Snape's voice yelling, "Miss Weasley!" Ginny jumped up, confused and half-awake, and stared at her desk. A ruler had just slammed down onto it precariously near her face, barely missing her nose. She blinked wearily and glanced around her at the room full of her fellow Sixth Year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, all who were staring at her. Snape was leering, clearly enjoying catching her sleeping. "Twenty points from Gryffindor, Miss Weasley. Perhaps you can spare yourself a detention as well if you answer the question."

She swallowed the bad taste in her mouth, whether it was from having just woken up or from being woken by Snape's ugly face, and whispered, "What was the question, Professor?"

He glared and whipped his ruler around, pointing it at the chalkboard where there were directions for brewing some or other potion. "What is the main ingredient of the Polyjuice Potion?"

Why was it that everything he said always sounded like a yell? The board swam before her, the words going in and out of focus, but they were of no help. She knew she had heard of this before, Hermione had been talking about it, but for the life of her she couldn't remember with her fuzzy, tired brain. "Well, Miss Weasley?" he demanded.

Why was he so inquisitorial? What did he want from her? She clearly didn't know the answer, so did he have to put the spotlight on her and let everyone see her shame and humiliation? He was almost as bad as the Ministry officials they had sent to question her.

"_Hello, Miss Weasley. I'm Alicia Barnes. I'm going to ask a few questions about your rapists so we can find them and put them in Azkaban." She flinched at the word 'rapist' and didn't turn her face to look at her from where she stared out her bedroom window. The woman sat on a chair by her bedside, quill and parchment in hand. "Can you tell me what happened that night?"_

_Ginny was silent for a long time. The woman waited patiently, as if she expected this to happen. "They…attacked me."_

"_What were you doing at the moment?"_

"_Delivering a box of goods from my brother's store."_

"_And where were you?"_

_Wasn't it obvious? "Knockturn Alley."_

"_Mhmm. Now, did the men say anything to you? Try to get you to talk to them?" She nodded. "What did they say?"_

"_I don't remember exactly. They were drunk and I just wanted to leave."_

"_And did they attack you right then and there?"_

"_No…they followed me, then they started…chasing me…" Ginny found her throat closing up. She didn't want to do this, didn't want to talk anymore. She curled into a ball, hiding her face in her knees and rocking slightly. She closed her eyes, blocking out the sight of her bedroom, but that only made her memories clearer._

"_Do you think anybody saw them chasing you?" She shrugged. "Was the alley you were found in where they raped you?" Obviously. Ginny gave a small nod. "Can you tell me what happened?"_

_What happened? They…they raped her. They forced themselves onto her, into her, sometimes taking turns and sometimes two of them sharing her at once. They beat her until she passed out, then woke her up and did it again. Did she want all of the sick details? Every second of every minute as it went on for hours and hours, feeling as if it would never end? She realized she was sobbing openly now because she couldn't breath, the snot was getting in her hair and on her clothes, the tears were making her face all wet, and when she tried to breath in it came in short, shaky gasps._

_There was a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Ginny. Take your time. I'm here to help-"_

"_Stop it! Don't touch me!" She pushed the woman away, half-jumping, half-falling out of the bed onto the floor where she curled up in a corner, her back to the wall, her hands raised to defend herself like she was being attacked. _

_The woman approached slowly. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." Ginny shook her head, curling into herself and refusing to speak for the rest of the day. The woman had to come back again the next day to get the descriptions of her attackers, and after that her mother refused to let anyone else speak to her, yelling at the reporters outside their house to leave._

Ginny realized she'd zoned out and that Snape and the rest of the class were staring at her expectantly. "I-I'm sorry, Professor, I don't know the answer." She thought she heard a Gryffindor groan in annoyance.

"No, I don't suppose someone as dim-witted as you would. Another twenty points from Gryffindor and detention tonight." Snape pointed his ruler at another student who promptly answered the question. It turned out it was written on the board. Oh well.

The bell tolled, finally, its long, low gonging filling the school. Ginny gathered her things and followed the stream of teenagers out of the room, up the stairs, and down the corridors to the Great Hall for dinner. She found Ron and Hermione heading in her direction and followed behind them silently, thankful that Harry wasn't there. It had been awkward around him ever since the incident where she went mental on him and started screaming her head off.

When they arrived at the Great Hall Harry had already saved seats for them, all four of them, something he had never done years previous. Before at Hogwarts Harry, Ron, and Hermione avoided sitting with her at all cost, usually scheming up some plot or other, and because she was a year younger than them. Ever since school had started a few weeks ago, though, they always made sure she sat next to them and that nobody bothered her. Ginny wasn't sure if she should find it a nice gesture or just an annoying one: on the one hand it gave her a place to sit so she didn't have to stand in the room searching for a seat by herself, on the other hand she was tired of them being so over-protective since the incident. Hermione was always watching her worriedly, asking her if there was anything she could get her. Ron practically bit anyone's head off that so much as glanced at her. And Harry…Harry was either awkwardly tip-toeing around her or trying to play hero if someone tried to her hurt her.

Ginny didn't eat much, despite Hermione always trying to feed her, a concerned look on the girl's face. Usually she sat through dinner picking at her food or stirring it around so it looked like she had eaten while she listened to the conversations around her. Like Ron and Hermione's conversations, which always ended up in arguing. What a strange way they flirted.

"Hermione, I have a big zit on my forehead!" Ron complained, pointing to it.

Hermione rolled her eyes to Ginny and fished in her purse, pulling out a small bottle. She tossed it to Ron.

"What's this, 'Mione?" he asked, holding it up to the light.

"It's a zit removing cream, Ron. See where it says on the bottle 'Zit Removing Cream.'"

"Oh right…Well, why do _you_ have it? You haven't got any zits, 'Mione."

"That's because I _use_ it, _Ronald_."

Ginny stood suddenly, staring at the table where her hands were clenched. Ron, Hermione, and Harry all glanced up in unison. "Are you okay, Ginny?"

She glanced at them, suddenly sick of their bickering, of their tip-toeing, of their protectiveness. She felt sick and claustrophobic with all of these people around her; she had to get out, had to escape, had to get some fresh air. Ginny turned quickly and ran to the door, dashing out it. She knew one or all three of them would follow behind her worriedly so she didn't stop running until she was out of breath and exhausted. She collapsed against a wall panting for breath and laying her head on the cool stone. Ginny suddenly wanted to end it all, all of the pain, all of the semblance of normality, all of the exhaustion and disgust she constantly felt. Ginny let her legs give out from under her body and slipped down the wall until she sat on the floor, her head between her knees, trying to block out the world around her.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

The first two weeks were hell for Draco. He knew he couldn't stay in his Common Room. His fellow Slytherins wouldn't kill him, they didn't have the nerve, but if they got a hold of him they would do everything but. He spent a few nights in the Room of Requirement until, one day, walking there after dinner he found the Golden Trio had set up camp, claiming the room as theirs. He waited until they were gone, wondering what they were doing in there until one in the morning, and then paced in front of the door three times, gathered his things, and left. He spent a few nights outside by the greenhouses where no one could find him, then one in the old astronomy tower, all the while moving his clothes, books, and school supplies around with him.

Finally, he found it. The perfect spot. It was an old abandoned classroom that hadn't been used in years. In the back of the room a door led to an old teacher's lounge where the professor could relax between classes. There was a ratty, long-abandoned couch against one wall and a desk against the other. The couch was lumpy and too uncomfortable to sleep on but in the middle of the night he went back to the Room of Requirement looking for a bed. It turned out there was more than one extra bed stored there and while he couldn't take the entire bed frame with him, he did shrink the mattress and take that back with him to his room. He found some extra bed sheets and blankets on it that he sent to the wash with his clothes the next day and was happy to discover the house elves had delivered to his new room without question.

Unfortunately, having a new place to sleep didn't mean he escaped his House or any of his fellow students. He had every class with them and every corner he turned they were there, glaring at him threateningly and waiting until they could get him alone. He had to sit with them at dinner, it was that or not eat, no one was exactly planning on letting him sit at another table, he had to avoid them at night during their patrol, he had to hide his bedroom from their awareness by making plenty of confusing turns and taking random staircases until he lost them. He knew, once they got a hold of him, he was a gonner, and so he had been extra careful for the past two weeks not to be alone with the Slytherins at any one point, especially those he knew were Death Eaters.

But when he saw Ginny Weasley stand up and run out of the Great Hall alone, he didn't think twice before he followed her, being careful to keep his pace even so her brother and friends didn't think he was stalking her. He hadn't considered that as soon as the doors closed behind him a gang of Slytherins would stand, stretching and claiming they were done eating, and go out right after him.

He followed the sound of her running footsteps until they stopped. Draco heard heavy breathing just around the corner, she must have gotten too tired to keep running, and he walked towards it, almost rounding the bend before he heard a voice behind him. "Well, well. Look who's all alone in the halls by himself. This is the first time I've seen Draco Malfoy without a crowd of people around him. It would almost seem as if he were avoiding us. What do you guys think?"

Draco turned slowly, his heart in his throat, his mind on Ginny just around the corner. _Please don't come out. _The Slytherins wouldn't spare his beating just because she was there…more likely they would try to include her in the fun. He didn't want her getting dragged into this. Thankfully, he didn't hear any stirring behind him. Draco scanned the group. Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson, and Daphne Greengrass. It seemed Crabbe and Goyle had both been too busy eating to bother.

His hand slowly moved towards his pocket as he asked, stalling for time, "What do you want?"

"Oh, you know what we want, Malfoy." Zabini stepped forward, fingering his wand. "We haven't seen you in months. We just wanted to get reacquainted."

In a flash his wand was out, disarming Draco before he could grab his own. He glared at the boy. "Sorry if I haven't exactly been social lately. You see, I'm trying this new thing where I don't associate myself with rapists and murderers."

Zabini grinned. "But why? You are, after all, one of us." He stepped forward, his wand at Draco's throat. "Even if you refuse the Mark now. Sooner or later daddy dearest will catch up to you."

Draco growled low in his throat and swung a punch at the boy. Before it could hit him he felt himself being lifted off the ground by two large bodies. It would seem Crabbe and Goyle were here after all, but how they got behind him without his noticing he didn't know. He didn't bother to struggle against them, it was no use anyway, they were more than twice his size and besides, if he just took it like a man then they would lose their fun and leave him.

Zabini glared at him. "You're really gonna regret that, Malfoy." A fist came flying at Draco's face, hitting him square in the nose and breaking it. He bit his teeth down to avoid screaming in pain. He had had much worse from his father. They would get nothing out of him.

A hand grabbed his hair and lifted his head. "Aww, poor baby. Did he break your little nosey? It was Pansy Parkinson. She smiled at him cruelly as she brushed the hair out of his face. "You know, it's really a shame he's going to ruin that pretty face of yours. You're so cute."

"No need to worry, Parkinson, I'll still be prettier than you. Your face makes me hurl." He knew his words cut her like a whip, she had had a crush on him since First Year, even when he showed no interest. The girl glared and slapped him, the sound echoing throughout the hallway. He thought he heard a gasp in Ginny's direction, but nobody seemed to notice. "You ass." He spit at her, blood landing on her cheek. Her eyes burned in anger and she kicked upwards, her foot landing in his groin and making him keel over in pain.

"Ouch, Pans. You're making _me_ flinch." Blaise wrapped an arm around Pansy, his chin resting on her shoulder as he watched Draco try to straighten up.

"I was just giving him a little gift…from Lucius. He misses his little boy." She laughed at Draco's angry reaction. "I think I've found what makes him tick."

Zabini grinned. "Ahh, I almost forgot. Voldemort wanted me to give you something as well. For leaving the night before your Coronation." He pulled out his wand and glanced at the ceiling, as if in deep contemplation. "Which spell shall I use? A good old Cruciatus? Or something a little more creative?"

"We don't want him to scream." A female voice chipped in from somewhere outside Draco's view. That must have been Daphne Greengrass. "The professors might catch us."

Zabini grinned. "Don't worry, he won't scream. He's too proud to." He lifted his wand and Draco braced himself. "Crucio!"

Compared to his father's Cruciatus Curse, Blaise Zabini's was pathetically weak. Draco lifted his head, and, despite the ringing in his ears and the pain making his muscles tense, grinned at him. "Is that the…best you got?" He choked out between painful breaths.

Zabini lowered his wand, breaking off the spell. He glared angrily and Draco knew he shouldn't have pushed the boy to do worse. But before he could do anything Nott's voice was whispering loudly, "I heard a noise, guys! There's a professor coming!"

"Shit." Zabini cursed. He put his wand away as Crabbe and Goyle dropped Draco to the floor. He caught himself so his head didn't hit the stone but didn't bother to stand. "Let's go. You'll tell no one of this, Malfoy, unless you want the entire school to find out about daddy's idea of discipline."

Draco waited until their footsteps had disappeared down the hall before he forced himself to his feet. His wand lay on the floor and he leaned over, picking it up, when he heard a noise behind him. Draco whirled around in a flurry of robes, wand raised, ready to kill the next person he saw.

It was Ginny Weasley. She stared at him wide-eyed, fearful, her body pressed against the wall behind her like she could sink into it and disappear. He lowered his wand from her neck and put it in his pocket but she still didn't relax. Finally Draco, fighting against every nerve in his body, took a step away from her, then another. "Sorry…you surprised me."

After a few minutes of literally shaking she relaxed ever so slightly. "I…I didn't mean to…to eavesdrop." She was staring at him oddly, as if she had just noticed him for the first time, as if she were just now seeing him. "Is…is all that stuff they said true?"

He ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. There was no point in pretending she hadn't heard everything that had happened. He tried to recall the conversation they had had. Him skipping his Coronation and his father's beatings had both come up, the latter more than once. He leaned against the wall opposite her, one foot on the floor and one against the wall, hands in his pockets. "Yeah. It's all true."

"Oh…" She didn't press him to continue, nor did she leave. Just stood there awkwardly, watching him in that odd way of hers, where she never quite looked at him, but more over his shoulder, glancing at his face every now and then before looking away again shyly. An awkward silence filled the hallway.

"Listen, about what you heard. I'd prefer if you didn't repeat it to anyone, okay? It's not really something I want to get around the whole school." She nodded and it dawned on him just how unfair that proposal was. The entire school, hell, all of wizarding London, knew about what had happened to her. It was completely unreasonable of him to ask her to keep his secret.

He expected her to leave after that, but she didn't budge. He saw the question in her eyes but knew she wouldn't ask if he pressed her. Draco waited patiently, trying not to shift too much for fear she, like a wild animal, would bolt at any sudden movement. "Malfoy?"

"Yeah?" He tried to make his unsteady voice come out even. He didn't want her to realize how intently he had been staring at her face, trying to read her emotions, trying to imagine what it would feel like to kiss her lips. The latter was much easier than the former.

"Does that mean…you're not…" She didn't go on. It seemed she couldn't.

At first he was confused, but then he understood what it was she was asking. "A Death Eater?" She nodded silently and stared at the floor. He knew just telling her wouldn't convince her. Draco rolled up both his sleeves to his elbow and touched his finger to her chin, lifting it. She flinched at the contact but didn't relapse back into her fearful, quiet shell as he was afraid she would. She was too engrossed in his arms.

Besides the faint white scars from his father's beatings, both were covered in unbroken, smooth pale skin. There was no tattoo.


	6. Disillusionment

A/N: Again, sorry for the long wait for the update. School has started back and I've been especially busy lately, so updates are probably going to take longer. But I will try to get them out once a week, I promise! I hope you all enjoy!

Oh, and I also noticed I forgot to put a song in the last chapter, so I went back and fixed that.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Heaven don't want me  
Heaven don't fool me  
No one will understand  
And it's alright

I'm feelin' these changes  
Everybody is strangers  
No one will lend a hand  
And I guess that's life

You say, you got a feelin'  
You figured out the writing on the wall  
And angels on the ceiling  
Don't calm you when you call  
You found your own religion  
And searched your heart for somethin' more  
Stood naked in the kitchen  
Tryin' to wipe yourself off of the floor

No, I won't take you for granted  
These broken arms can hold you  
No, I won't take you for granted

You say, it don't matter  
You're livin' life, and livin' long  
And you hear the phony laughter  
Echoing on and on  
You're hiding under water  
I pray to God, wash me away  
Can't hear the child's wonder  
The innocence got hushed along the way

-Hiding Under Water by Beth Hart

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny was in Herbology listening to the lecture when she was sent to the Headmistress's office. She went obligingly, both happy to escape the classroom and dreading what McGonagall had to say to her. She followed the prefect to the Headmaster's office, where the girl gave the password and left her to ascend the spiral staircase alone. Ginny's hands were sweating by the time she reached the top and stepped into the office.

She had been here only once before, in her first year, after Harry rescued her from the Chamber of Secrets. Needless to say, she didn't have happy memories of the place. She sat down in the chair before the Headmistress's desk, her eyes gazing at the painting of Dumbledore on the wall behind McGonagall. His twinkling eyes and bright smile gazed back at her, and he nodded, asking "How are you Miss Weasley?"

The familiar voice of a dead man seemed to startle McGonagall just as much as it did Ginny. A pained expression crossed the Headmistress's face but was quickly checked. Ginny returned the nod. "I'm fine, Head-…umm…Dumbledore."

McGonagall cleared her throat, drawing Ginny's eyes back down to the woman before her. "Miss Weasley, perhaps you are wondering why I called you here today."

Ginny nodded. "I hope I am not in trouble."

"No, not yet, anyway. Tea, Miss Weasley?" Ginny shook her head at the offering. McGonagall sighed before beginning. "I have been informed of your…special circumstances," the woman began, "and asked by your parents to be lenient with your grades this year due to the event that occurred this summer." Ginny stared at the desktop to avoid her eyes. "However, I can only go so far, Miss Weasley. You must meet me half way."

Without looking up, Ginny asked, "What do you mean, Headmistress?" though she already knew what the woman meant.

"Miss Weasley, it is a month into the school year and you are failing all of your classes. I have been informed by your teachers on more than one occasion that you are not turning in your assignments, that you are failing the exams, and that you are sleeping in class. Is all of this true?" Ginny nodded. "Miss Weasley, you are in your sixth year. You cannot afford to fall behind with your NEWTS next year." Another silent nod. McGonagall sighed. "I am not going to punish you Miss Weasley, but I _am_ going to ask that you get a tutor and that you do your assignments. As well as get a dreamless sleeping draught, if it is indeed nightmares keeping you awake. Do you need me to assign you a tutor and write permission for the draught?"

"No, Headmistress, I can get them myself."

"Very well. I expect to see your grades improve within the next month, and if they don't, I will be asking you to come back up to my office to chat with me. You are dismissed, you may return to class."

Ginny didn't go back to class. Now she wanted to be alone, and besides, it was almost over. Instead, she walked in the opposite direction of the greenhouses, heading towards the lake and the edge of the Forbidden Forest. She strolled slowly along the edge, her arms wrapped around herself against the windy autumn air, and stared up at the cloudy, bruised sky. She thought of nothing, or tried to at least, as she walked, and she soon became lost in the nature around her, the sad peacefulness of it, the waves lapping against the sandy dirt, the water choppy from the wind. She was so out of it that she didn't even see the creature until it was just two meters from her.

Ginny stopped dead in her tracks, staring in wonder. A white horse, its skin as pure as snow, had its neck bent over to drink from the lake water. It glanced up at her with its bright silver eyes, twitching its elegant tail, before bending to drink again. She stared in awe at the long, pointed horn set on its forehead centered between its eyes.

A unicorn. Ginny had read about them in books and learned about them in Care of Magical Creatures, but never had she actually seen one in person. It was very rare for a wizard to see a unicorn, much less get this close to one. This unicorn was a female, judging from its smaller, slenderer build than its male counterparts and from its overly long horn. She wondered if it would let her pet it. Ginny stepped closer, and the flighty creature eyed her warily as it drank. Her hand reached out to stroke the silky white hair of its mane. It did not move, so she reached closer, until he hand was just above its head.

The creature reared back with a whinny, its legs lifting up in the air and narrowly missing her head. She had to fall back onto the earth to avoid being smacked by the unicorn's flailing front legs, which she knew to be incredibly powerful. It turned from her then, dashing off into the forest so quickly that all she saw was a blur of white.

Ginny sat up on the earth, panting for breath as her racing heart slowed. She had narrowly missed being flogged to death by the unicorn's hooves, and she wondered why it had acted as such. It had seemed so comfortable with her near, and yet, when she had almost petted it the creature went insane. It was odd: unicorns were usually incredibly docile animals. But then she remembered something else she had read in a book. "The unicorn prefers to befriend innocents. It tends to shy away from any human that is not pure of body, mind, and soul." Ginny's mind froze on those words. Yes, she was not a virgin, not anymore, but she still thought she was pure of mind and soul. Was she corrupted on the inside as well, not just her physical body? Had she been raped of _all_ of her innocence?

Ginny's body trembled and her eyes threatened to spill over, but she stood up, brushing the dirt off of her clothes. The bell's long, low tolling echoed throughout the school, and she watched the teens pile out of their classes. They laughed and talked and flirted, none of them noticing her over by herself by the lake. She gazed after them longingly, their naivety, their ignorance. They had no idea how their lives could change in an instant. Had Ginny been like that once? She tried to remember the time when she was carefree, happy, innocent. She couldn't imagine what it was like anymore.

Classes for the rest of the day passed by achingly slowly as she fought sleep in each one. She didn't see Hermione again until dinner, and didn't have a chance to speak with her alone until they sat in the Common Room that night. Hermione was sprawled on the couch reading a book, no surprise there, Harry and Ron were playing Chess, and Ginny was staring out the window at the rain, driven by the strong wind, pelting the stain glass, which was occasionally lit up by lightning. Finally, she ventured to speak. "Mione?"

"Yeah, Ginny?" the girl seemed surprised by being addressed so directly, when Ginny rarely spoke unless spoken to. But she hid her surprise well and answered steadily, "What's wrong?"

Ginny didn't turn her eyes away from the window. "Nothing." That was a lie, but when someone asked what was wrong, or how you were feeling, or any question of the sort, did they really want an honest answer? Of course they didn't: they wanted to hear that nothing was wrong, that you were fine, that life was perfect, even though you both knew full well that it wasn't. "McGonagall called me to her office today."

"Oh? What did she want?" Ginny noticed Harry and Ron listening in on the conversation; they weren't very good eavesdroppers: their conversation ended and bodies unconsciously bended towards them as they strained their ears to hear.

"She said my grades were dropping."

"Oh Ginny," Hermione's lecture voice suddenly appeared. "Have you been doing your work? You know you have to do well this year. Next year is your NEWTS. You can't afford to mess those up…" Hermione continued berating Ginny, so the redhead ignored her words, her voice becoming white noise, and didn't speak again until it was silent.

"She said I shouldn't sleep in class." Ginny took a deep breath, trying to work up the nerve to ask her friend for tutoring, but before she could open her mouth she was interrupted.

"Have you been sleeping well?" Hermione didn't wait for her answer. "Why don't you get a sleeping draught?"

Ginny shrugged. "It doesn't help much. Sometimes it makes me feel more tired when I take it."

Hermione contemplated. "What does help you to fall asleep?"

"Hot showers. But I can't take those in the middle of the night without waking the other girls."

Again, Hermione was quiet for awhile. Then she stood, walking over to Ginny and standing behind her. She put a hand on Ginny's shoulder, making the girl flinch, and stared out the window over her head. Her voice was quieter, so quiet no one could overhear them, when she said, "I shouldn't be telling you this because I could get in trouble and it is breaking the rules, so don't tell anyone else." Ginny nodded, curious now. "The prefects' bathroom has a large bathtub and a lot of smaller ones, also some individual showers if you prefer. It's just around the corner from here on two floors below. There's a statue of Boris the Bewildered there. The password is 'House Unity', thought up by the professors, obviously." She rolled her eyes. "Usually there's nobody there after ten pm and it locks from the inside. I would be willing to overlook it if you snuck out of the Common Room to take a bath."

Ginny nodded, thanking her. Hermione went back to her book and Ginny to staring out the window, both girls pretending as if the conversation hadn't occurred. It was nine now. Ginny waited until the Common Room cleared out; it ended up being midnight before she could quietly sneak down the stairs to the prefects' bathroom.

Ginny shoved open the heavy door, thankful that it didn't squeak, and glanced around the room. The candles were still lit, illuminating the empty room for her. In the center of the bathroom was a huge tub, twenty times the size of one she had ever bathed in, with a diving board leading out into the center of it. Surrounding all sides where there weren't stairs to get in it were taps, all of them covered in different colored jewels. Branching off of the room were more doors, some of them opened to reveal individual showers and smaller tubs, some the size of Muggle Jacuzzis. Ginny only knew about Jacuzzis because on one occurrence her father had to remove a Jacuzzi from a Muggle home because it was cursed that so whenever someone got in it the temperature changed of its own accordance from scalding hot to freezing cold, depending on whether or not it liked the Muggle sitting in it.

Ginny glanced around, seeing nobody was there, and went to the bathtub. Ignoring the mirrors on the far wall, she stripped off her pajamas, piling them in a corner, and stepped into the still-empty tub. In the center its walls rose above her head. Shivering from the cold air, Ginny turned on the nearest tap, staring in surprise at the square pink bubbles that poured out of it with the water, which was a perfect temperature without adjustment. She turned to the other taps, picking a random one and turning it on. This time, purple heart shaped bubbles were emitted, along with a smell of lilacs. Ginny moved around the giant tub as it filled, turning taps, watching the colors and smelling the smells. She let the hot water wash over her, rising up to her ankles, knees, thighs, stomach, until she could submerge herself completely if she walked out into the middle. All the while, she did not see the pair of eyes that watched her from a hidden, dark corner.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco was pulling on his pants when he heard someone come into the room. They didn't speak and he ignored them, though he was curious as to whom was breaking the rules to come take a bath this late at night. His first guess was a horny couple, but when he didn't hear any girlish giggles, panting, or the sound of flesh on flesh, he realized it must have been just one person. One very quiet person who didn't seem to mind interrupting his late-night, solitary shower by turning on the taps and filling the room with the smell of flowers. He didn't bother to put on his shirt, but instead stepped out of the private shower, intending to chew them out for bothering him.

Until he saw the familiar red hair, slight form, and pale skin, that was. He gasped, but the girl didn't hear him over the sound of the water flowing out of the taps. Draco backed into the shadows, staring at the object of his obsession in wonder. He watched her move from tap to tap, turning on faucets, all with a look of wonder on her face at the multi-colored, shaped, and smelling bubbles that were emitted. And _he_ watched _her_ in wonder, watched the elegant yet equally awkward movements of her body, stared at the exposed pale flesh, of which, from his angle, he could see everything, gazed at the short hair that brushed her slender shoulders.

When she turned towards him he backed further into the shadow where the candle didn't shine, and she didn't notice him. He did notice her, quite a lot, as the water rose slowly, covering her body; he stared at her full, perky breasts, shapely legs, flat stomach. The perfect, angelic face and kissable lips. He didn't miss the multitude of scars that marred her body or the ribs, he could count each one, that stuck out of her skin as if they would break through at any moment. And he knew, in the back of his mind, that this was wrong, this spying. He knew he was being a disgusting, perverted peeping tom, and yet…yet, he couldn't pull his eyes away from the broken goddess before him. In fact, he found it hard just to resist the urge to step into the bath with her, grab her shoulders, pull her body tight against his, and crash his lips onto hers. Draco felt his pants pull tight at the thought and he almost groaned in annoyance, but stopped himself.

She was doing something different now. She had turned off all the taps, but she didn't proceed in washing herself. Instead, she stood off to the side of the bath, where she could stand without the water going above her chest, and she stared, simply stared, at the water around her, as if she saw something in it he did not. He couldn't read her expression, though he wished he could. Draco longed to know what it was that went on in that mind of hers, especially now, as she stared at nothing with a numb sadness on her face. He wanted to pick apart that mind, to see all of its deep, hidden, dark thoughts, but knew that he couldn't. At least, not yet.

He was startled by her sudden, yet slow, movement. She stepped further into the deeper water, and he watched it rise, up over her breast, enveloping her shoulder, covering her neck, and she kept going, even as her mouth went under. She paused for a second, her nose just above the surface of the water, before she closed her eyes and dropped her knees, plunging down into it.

And just like that she disappeared. He could see nothing with all of the bubbles hiding her. He waited, anxiously, for her red hair to resurface. Seconds ticked by. And suddenly, it dawned on him that she wasn't coming back up for air. Draco's eyes widened in shock as he searched the unbroken surface for her. Nothing. Was she drowning? Was she committing suicide? Should he dive in after her? If he did, he would have to explain what he'd been doing spying on her. Should he stay there and wait and see if she came up on her own? Maybe she just had a really good lung capacity. All of these thoughts and questions flitted through his head even as he ran, decision already made, his body moving without his mind's consent, and dove head-first into the water.

Draco's eyes opened, blinking against the sting of the soap, and he gazed around in the murky water for her. There, a few meters from him, she floated under the surface. Her hair spread up and all around, as if unobstructed by gravity, looking like a silky red halo around her perfect, content face. Her eyes were closed, and she could have been sleeping, but for the fact that her mouth was open, her breasts lifting. He almost screamed at her to stop but then remembered to keep his mouth closed. _She was breathing in the water_. On purpose. And she looked entirely at ease about it, her arms spread to let the water wrap around her body, naked like a mythological goddess, every inch of her body covered in flawless, beautiful skin. He swam over to her vigorously, grabbing her arm in his firm grip, swimming for the surface, and he himself was losing breath, would he ever break through in time?

They resurfaced, him with a gasp of air, her unconscious and limp in his arms. He supported her body with his own as he swam to the edge, climbing out and pulling her onto the solid ground. Draco didn't have time to stare at her naked, wet form beneath him. She wasn't breathing, and he had to fix that. How was it done? You pushed on the chest a few times, then breathed into their mouth? He couldn't remember, his mind was blank, and he was afraid if he were to push down onto her chest he would crack her delicate ribs. Instead, Draco pinched her nose between his fingers and swooped down, pressing his lips firmly against hers. He breathed into her all the air he had in his lungs, his eyes watching her face intently.

Her brown eyes shot open and he pulled away as he began to cough, water spilling out of her lungs. There was so much he was surprised it had all fit into her tiny body. She coughed for minutes straight until there was nothing left to cough, then seemed to take in her surroundings. Her eyes swept from left to right, finally locking with his own.

The sharp scream that pierced the air should have been expected, but he still winced. Ginny scrambled away from him backward on all fours, trying to cover her nakedness with her hands, and he stood, turning politely away from her. He heard her feet slap across the floor in the direction of the stack of fluffy white towels. Even after he was sure she was covered, even with the long silence that stretched uncomfortably between them, he didn't turn. He waited for her to speak. Finally, he heard her inhale sharply, then whisper, "What do you think you were doing?!" with a hiss.

"I'm sorry," he said in his most apologetic, polite voice. "I thought you were…drowning." He didn't want to say suicide, for fear she would suddenly become defensive.

"How long have you been watching me?" Her voice was still livid, and he didn't respond. That was enough of an answer for her. "This whole time?!"

"I am sorry, I did not mean to. I was in the shower when you came in." Not entirely true, he was already done showering, but at least then she wouldn't think he'd been watching her for the past half hour.

"I didn't hear any water running," Ginny accused. Draco cursed at how observing she was. Again, he gave no answer, no denial or submission. Finally, she asked, "Why did you do that? Why did you save me?"

He shrugged. "I couldn't very well have let you die."

"Yes, you _could_." He winced at the conviction in her tone, at how much she believed that statement.

"Your brother and friends would have thought I had killed you. I was only looking out for my own best interest." She seemed to buy it.

"Well, don't. And don't tell anyone what happened here tonight. Now leave, please."

He shook his head, and this seemed to surprise her. "You just almost drowned. I couldn't very well leave you alone when you're a danger to yourself."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ahh, so she would deny the attempted suicide.

"You don't know how to swim," he covered up easily, "I couldn't leave you unaccompanied to repeat the same experience, only with no one here to save you."

She didn't correct him whether she knew how to swim or not. He was sure she did, but she wasn't quick to admit to suicide either. That was fine with him. "I'm not asking."

"I know," he nodded. "And I'm not leaving without you. Besides, it's after hours. It would be rude of me not to escort you back to your Common Room."

"_What?_" Ginny hissed.

"It's late. A female shouldn't be out by herself at night." He almost cringed at his words, realizing how they would sound to her. It wasn't that he was trying to bring up bad memories, it was just that that was how he was raised. As much as he hated his father, the man had raised him to be polite, courteous, and old-fashioned, especially in the area of women, so long as those women were purebloods. He agreed with all but the last part. But he had failed in convincing his father that Muggle or mudblood witches were still women, and should be treated as such. Lucius saw them as nothing more than trash and a spoil of war. Draco's resistance to that idea had resulted in a very cruel beating on more than one occasion.

"I don't need…just…go away…" her voice sounded defeated, and though he was glad at his triumph, he felt horrible. Was this progress forward or back? He wasn't sure, he couldn't tell with Ginny.

"I will wait out here if you wish to change in one of the other rooms." Ginny didn't answer, but he heard the rustle of fabric, and saw a flash of skin out of the corner of his eye as she ducked into one of the smaller rooms. He sighed when the door closed after her, glaring down at the bulge in his pants. Despite the fact that she had nearly drowned, his body could be counted on to get randy at the thought of Ginny Weasley naked and just a few meters from himself. He willed his body to calm down, his heart to stop racing, the sweat to stop beading on his forehead (thought that might have been from how hot and steamy the room was) and the bulge to disappear in his pants, or, in the least, become less noticeable. It didn't help that his pants were soaking wet and clinging to his hips and legs.

Finally, some time later, Ginny emerged from the side bathroom. Draco glanced up and almost wished he hadn't, because he couldn't pull his eyes away. She wore a pair of pale cotton pajamas that were too large on her, so the legs of her pants brushed the floor when she walked and the sleeves of her shirt came over her hands. It was loose on her, but still flattering to her breasts, especially considering her skin was still damp and she wore no bra. Over it she wore a matching silver cloak that too brushed the floor. It had sleeves of similar length and did not tie at the top, but instead buckled right across her breasts, making them all the more noticeable. It all looked hand sewn, and it fit her beautifully, but it was oddly out of place considering she usually wore black, baggy clothes. He voiced that thought out loud.

Ginny stared at him in confusion, then down at her clothing, unconsciously covering her breasts with her arms. "My mother made it for me. I…used to like it."

He nodded. He had seen her in years previous, walking around the school in short uniform skirts, tight shirts, and jewelry. She had been just like every other girl, caring about how her hair looked and checking if her makeup was fresh throughout the day. She must have had some nice clothes that she had bought back then, when she used to care about her appearance. It seemed now, though, she threw clothes on without noticing them, and if she did take any extra care with her clothing, it was just to make sure she was as covered as possible.

Draco watched her silently, and his scrutiny seemed to make her uncomfortable, because she shifted from foot to foot. Finally, he spoke, "Are you ready for me to escort you back to your Commons?" He maintained his polite voice, which seemed to make her slightly more at ease. She merely shrugged and he turned, beginning to walk, listening to be sure she followed him.

"You'll have to show me the way to your Common Room," he commented as they walked down the hallway, which must have been as cold on her bare feet as it was on his. He had stripped off his wet socks, carrying them with his shoes and shirt. He slowed his pace to her own so that they walked side by side, giving him the opportunity to glance down at her whenever he could. Mostly all he could see was the top of her head, she was so small, and down her shirt. Should he have felt bad for staring at her cleavage? Probably, but just as he continued to watch her in the shower, he kept glancing at her small body beside his, knowing it was perverted but not caring. She looked beautiful, like an angel, especially in the silvery white clothes she wore, contrasting with her flaming, short hair. He longed to reach his hand out and run it through that beautiful hair, to lace his hand through hers, to run his fingertips across the large white scars he had seen on her body earlier. He resisted all of these actions, though it was almost painful to do so.

They reached her Common Room, a portrait of a Rubenesque woman guarding the entrance. She stared down her nose at Draco, and he hoped she wasn't the type of portrait that liked to gossip. He didn't care about his own reputation, but he didn't want to ruin Ginny's, at least, what was left of it. Ginny turned to him, lifting her eyes to Draco's face in that quirky way that she did where she looked over his shoulder past his ear, instead of meeting his gaze. "Umm….thank you…." she finally said.

He leaned against the wall nonchalantly, hands in his wet pockets. "For what?" he asked, sounding casual, though inside he was elated at the fact that she was actually talking to him.

"For saving me."

He nodded. "Of course."

"I would appreciate if you…didn't tell anyone."

"Of course not. No point in making a big deal out of an accident." He watched her face intently as her gaze dropped to the floor, eyebrows scrunched up in an emotion that could have been confusion, sadness, or contemplation, and was perhaps all at once. He wished he could run his fingers across those eyebrows, smooth them out, relax her upset face.

"Yes, and accident," Ginny whispered.

He acted as if he hadn't noticed her change in mood. "And accident I hope won't occur again."

She looked up at him then, actually met his eyes, before tearing her own away. For awhile she didn't say anything. Then she whispered, "I should hope not either."

"Because, you know, if it did, I would have to jump in and save you again." He pushed himself off of the wall, going to stand before her, lifting her chin up gently with his hand. "And again, and again. As many times as it takes."

Her eyes widened in surprise and panic at the nearness of his body, his sudden, foreign touch, and his words. "I…"

"You?"

"I should go to sleep now."

Draco was disappointed, but he nodded and stepped back from her, dropping her face. "Well, then, I suppose this is goodbye, Ginny Weasley." She glanced at him warily and he stepped away enough so that she could whisper the password without him overhearing. The portrait swung open and she was halfway through it before he said, "And be careful around this school. Not everyone is as…honorable…as I am."

She froze, her hand on the wall, and he turned, walking away from her. He could feel her eyes on his back, penetrating him, or at least trying to. Draco waited around the corner, out of sight, until he heard the portrait close safely behind her, then made his way to his own room, which, although it was on the same floor, was quite a ways away. When he finally made it to his bedroom he collapsed onto his mattress, stripping off his wet clothes and throwing them in the hamper, pulling on some dry boxers. He lay down in bed, staring at the ceiling above him in the occasional lightning that illuminated it. Draco went through the confrontation again and again, going over every word, every syllable, looking for hidden meanings. He thought about Ginny, about her attempted suicide, about her battle scars, about her perfect, naked body. That thought brought back the aching in his groin and he groaned, hoping it would go away.

It didn't. He spent a long hour trying to ignore his lust as he tossed and turned in bed. When he realized he would get no sleep that way, he finally relented. He didn't try not to think of Ginny, not to imagine her naked in the bath, not to picture her lying under him on his bed. When he was finished, he fell immediately asleep, dreaming of her.


	7. Trust

A/N: Well, here it is. As always, sorry it's been so long since my last post, but this one is extra long! Yay! And now, I go do homework. Boo. :(

Reviews make me happy! :D

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

She shines  
in a world full of ugliness  
She matters  
when everything is meaningless

Fragile  
She doesn't see her beauty  
She tries to get away  
Sometimes  
it's just that nothing seems worth saving  
I can't watch her slip away

I won't let you fall apart  
I won't let you fall apart  
I won't let you fall apart  
I won't let you fall apart

She reads the minds of all the people  
as they pass her by  
Hoping someone will see  
If I could fix myself I'd...  
but it's too late for me

I won't let you fall apart  
I won't let you fall apart  
I won't let you fall apart  
I won't let you fall apart

-The Fragile by Nine Inch Nails

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny pushed open the heavy dungeon doors of the Potions classroom. It was especially cold this late in the evening, and even through her thick winter cloak she could feel the chill of the October air. Snape sat alone at his desk scribbling furiously on a parchment so she stood at the doors, waiting patiently. Finally, he looked up. "You're three minutes late," he commented in his drawling tone.

She didn't argue that she had been standing there for three minutes waiting for him. He folded up the lengthy letter and put it in his pocket. For a moment he stared at her, his hands on the desk and face turned down in the angry frown he always wore. "Why were you late?" He barked, making her jump.

She gulped, staring down at her scuffed shoes. "I…I was…" She stammered.

"What Weasley? Spit it out!"

She jumped again. "Sorry, Professor."

"Sorry is not an excuse for being late. I should assign you another detention."

She closed her eyes, rocking back on her heels. This was what she used to do when she became angry and was trying not to mouth off, but now she just wanted to escape. From this annoying professor, this cold classroom, and the next few dreary hours ahead of her in which she did some mundane task in punishment for dozing off in class again.

"Miss Weasley, you will look at me when I am speaking to you." She opened her eyes, but didn't lift them. She watched curiously out of her periphery as he rummaged through his desk, grabbing a messenger bag and some papers. He stood, stepping around the desk. "I do not have time to watch over every student's detention. I am a very busy man." He said this as if she'd accused him of something. "One of my student helpers will be supervising you. Draco!"

Ginny looked up in surprise. Draco stepped around the doorway of the large Potions closet, where Snape kept stock of all of his ingredients. He glanced at Snape first with a blank face, then his eyes drifted to Ginny. The deep, penetrating look he gave her made her drop her eyes back down to the floor.

"Mr. Malfoy will see fit that you finish your task and are escorted back to your Commons room." This surprised Ginny. Why would Snape offer her an escort? Was he afraid she would wander around the school without one? "I have recently acquired a new shipment of Potions ingredients and the moron who shipped them to me did not label all of them. You will label them," he dug in the drawer of his desk, pulling out a quill with an old, dilapidated feather, a bottle of ink, and some masking tape "with this and put them in alphabetical order so I can find them. If you are uncertain as what a specific ingredient is, you will ask Draco for help. Do you understand, Miss Weasley?" Ginny nodded. "Miss Weasley, do you have good penmanship I hope?" She shrugged. "Weasley, when I ask you a question you will look me in the eyes and answer in words, not shrugs and nods." He repeated his question.

Ginny forced her gaze up, glancing into his dark, angry black eyes and away. She looked over his shoulder at the wall behind him. "I suppose."

"You suppose…?" He turned in a flurry of robes and stepped briskly to the chalkboard, picking up a piece of chalk and throwing it at her. She missed it and had to stoop to pick it up. "Write your full name on the board, Miss Weasley." Ginny nodded and went to the board, making a large sweep around him so as not to be within arm's reach, and did as she was told. "Good. At least there aren't any of those annoying curvy letters I can't read."

"You mean cursive?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"Yes, that." Snape glanced at the clock on the wall. "I will not be back before your detention is over. Good night Mister Malfoy, Miss Weasley." With that he left, leaving Ginny alone with Draco.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco chanced a smile at her, but she didn't return it. An awkward silence fell heavily upon them, Ginny staring at her feet and Draco staring at Ginny. Or what he could see of her, anyway. She was all bundled up in a thick dark gray cloak of wool, shivering slightly. He stepped towards her, taking off his own cloak as he went. "Are you cold?"

She didn't say anything as he untied her cloak and let it fall from her shoulders, momentarily glancing down at her in her school uniform: dark pants and a white loose shirt that looked to be a hand-me-down from one of her brothers, and draped his own cloak around her, fastening it at her neck. She stood perfectly still, eyes wide, shivering ceasing, and his fingers brushed her neck before he dropped his hands and stepped away. "How is that?"

"Much warmer," Ginny commented in surprise. His cloak looked to be made of thin cotton, but it was twice as warm as her own, and much lighter, too.

He smiled. "It's infused with a warming spell. It will heat to your body's ideal temperature. If you had kept on your other cloak, you would have been burning up."

"Oh." Again she fell silent. Draco could tell this would get them nowhere. Tonight wasn't going as he had planned it with Snape. He thought back to that conversation.

_Draco stepped into Snape's office a few nights after Ginny's attempted suicide. He didn't bother to knock on the door, the professor knew it was him already. Severus Snape glanced up from grading papers, not seeming surprised at all to see Draco in his private office. "What can I do for you, Draco?" He asked._

_Draco sat down on the only other chair in the room, his elbow on his knee and his chin resting on his hand. He didn't say anything, and though Snape gazed at him in curiosity, he did not ask. Finally, Draco spoke. "I need you to do me a favor, Severus."_

_Snape nodded. "Yes, you know I would do anything for you, Draco." Draco knew. After all, the professor had saved his life by taking the blame for Dumbledore's death last year. The two men had spent three weeks together last summer hiding out before his father discovered them._

"_I…It…" Draco didn't know where to begin. "It's the Weasley girl."_

"_What about her?" Severus asked, curious now._

"_I…I was showering the other night in the Prefect's Bathroom when she came in."_

_Snape put down his quill and rested his chin on his folded hands, face squinted in confusion. "And?"_

"_And…" Draco blushed. "I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help watching her, Severus."_

_His professor lifted an eyebrow. "In the bath?"_

"_Yes." Draco didn't deny it. There was a short silence._

"_I'm assuming you didn't come here to tell me about your excursions as a peeping tom, Draco."_

"_No, Professor." Draco took a deep breath. "Snape, she tried to commit suicide."_

_Severus lifted an eyebrow again, this time higher. "What happened?"_

"_She dove under the water and didn't resurface. I couldn't just leave her. I jumped in after her and brought her back up, but she wasn't breathing. I had to breathe into her mouth to get her going again, she had taken in so much water."_

_Severus sat back in his chair. "Did you report this to the school nurse or the Headmistress?"_

"_No. Of course not." Draco noticed Snape's warning glance. "I couldn't! I promised I wouldn't. And besides, how would that help her any?"_

"_Her parents would find out and they could get her psychiatric treatment-"_

"_I'm sure they've tried already. But Ginny is too far gone for any help, at least not from any of them!"_

_Snape's eyes widened slightly when he heard Draco use her first name, the word sounding almost loving on his tongue. "What, exactly, are you saying, Draco?"_

"_No one else can help her. Nobody else understands what she's going through. But I do!"_

"_Draco…" Snape warned. "You presume to understand. You've never been in her situation before."_

"_No, I've never been raped, but I have been beaten repeatedly by my father for years. I think the two are pretty close, don't you?" Severus opened his mouth to speak but Draco stood, interrupting him as he began pacing. "I understand her, Severus. I can help her. I can heal her." He paused. "I just need her to trust me. To get to know me so that we can develop a friendship and then I can fix her." He realized how crazed his voice sounded, the strange smile that had grown on his face, and so did Snape._

"_You're obsessed," Severus said, realization in his tone. "You're obsessed with her. I would almost think you were in love with her."_

_Draco paused his pacing, his body frozen where it was, hand half raised, eyes at the wall, mouth open as he murmured to himself. He straightened up, staring at the floor in conteplation as he thought this over. Finally he said, "I think you're right, Snape," and glanced over at his friend._

_The two men stared at each other for a long time. Finally, Severus asked, "What do you need me to do for you, Draco?"_

_Draco's face lit up in a smile and he began pacing again. "I just need you to arrange it so that our paths meet again. So that I can spend more time with her alone, hours perhaps, to get her to trust me."_

_Snape nodded. "That would be easy. I could arrange a detention for her and have you host it."_

"_Yes, but that doesn't mean she would be forced to talk to me."_

_They both thought for a while. Then Snape looked up, a smile on his face. "I could pull the labels off of my potions ingredients and make her label them. She couldn't possibly know them all like you do, and she would be forced to ask you for help."_

_Draco beamed at the man. "That would be perfect! The more she speaks to me, the more comfortable she'll become around me. Sooner or later, she'll have to admit the relationship we've developed."_

_Snape fell silent. "Do you realize what you are doing, Draco? Do you understand the dire consequences if you, in your attempts to help her, only end up hurting her more?"_

_Draco nodded, face serious. "Yes. I know how broken she is. I believe I only can help her."_

"_And do you know what you must do if she pushes you away? If she does not return your feelings of love? If you pursue too much, you will only crush her further and hurt her more. I don't want to see you become…that, Draco." Severus didn't say it, but they both thought it. His father. They didn't want to see him become his father._

"_Don't worry, Snape. I could never be like that man."_

The sound of Ginny's voice brought Draco back to the present. It was so small he wouldn't have noticed it or even made out her words if he hadn't been staring at her lips. "I suppose I should get started then."

"What? Oh, yes." He nodded and led the way to the Potions closet. She seemed even more uncomfortable than usual confined in this much smaller space with him. Ginny sighed as she stared at all the unlabeled potions' jars. There had to be at least thirty of them. She sat down on the floor in front of them, grabbing one and staring at its green contents in confusion.

Draco took the potion from her hand, setting it on the floor. He smiled at her surprised look, his arms folded around his bent legs, chin resting on his knees. He tilted his head to the side, still smiling. "Umm…" she whispered.

"I don't feel like doing this. It's so drab and besides, I'd rather talk."

"Talk?" She shifted uncomfortably from side to side. "About what?"

Draco shrugged. "Anything. Everything. About you, about me."

"I…I'd rather not," she finally had the nerve to say, and reached for the jar of ingredients again.

Draco's hand whipped out before he could stop it, grabbing hers. She froze, and so did he, both staring at her hand in his. Draco thought they looked nice together. His long fingers were wrapped around her small, fragile, cold hand. His hands had once been smooth and manicured, but now they were as callused as hers. He had no dirt under his fingernails, old habits died hard and he still insisted on cleanliness and good looks, even though he had no one to impress, but his nails were as unpolished as her own. What surprised him most was that her skin was even paler than his, the albino ferret, as he remembered her calling him once when they were younger.

She yanked her hand away, and he was thankful she refused to look at his face. She didn't see the disappointment there. Draco finally ventured to speak. "I haven't seen you in a week. How have things been?"

Ginny flinched at the memory of what had happened a week ago. A blush rose to her cheeks and she must have remembered regaining consciousness to find him leaning over her naked body. He was thankful he was able to keep his blush in check. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I hope you haven't chanced another swim since then. You should be careful walking around the lake, if you fell in, small as you are and with all those clothes on, you'd sink straight to the bottom." He made his tone sound joking, though they both knew that it hadn't been an accident.

"No. The lake is too cold."

Draco nodded as he contemplated. Where to go from here? How to get her to open up? Was he rushing things too much? Perhaps he should talk about himself? "Y'know, I didn't learn how to swim until I was thirteen years old. My father got me private lessons from one of the best teachers, and still I wouldn't let go of the edge of the pool. I looked ridiculous, a teenage boy afraid to dunk his head under water. Admittedly, I claimed it was because I didn't want to get my perfect hair wet, but the truth was I was deathly afraid."

"How did you learn?" Ginny asked, curious. Draco became excited that she actually wanted to engage in conversation.

"Well, finally, my father, fed up, grabbed me, pushed me away from the wall, and held my head underwater."

She gasped, staring at him in shock. For once she didn't flinch away from his eyes. "But…he could have killed you."

Draco nodded, smiling. "He nearly did," he said, a bit too cheerfully. He hoped she wouldn't notice the pain he was trying to hide. "But you see, nearly dying like that, I became less afraid. There was nothing to be afraid of if you had almost died once. And I learned how to swim."

They both fell into their own thoughts. Draco knew what Ginny must be thinking. She had almost died once, but she was more afraid than ever. Draco's thoughts were more of contemplations, however. If that had worked to get him to trust his trainer and the water and his own abilities, couldn't he apply the same logic to Ginny? She didn't trust him, he knew that. And she never would. Not unless he forced her to. And the only way to make her truly trust him, with everything she had, was to make her see that he wasn't a threat to her. And how else to do that but to let her see how strong he was, how easily he could crush her, just as easily as the water could have drowned him, and then prove to her that although he could, he wouldn't? How else but to almost kill her?

Draco's eyes widened at the thought as he contemplated it. Would it really work? Or just scare her away? He gazed at her, his eyes studying. She was already so broken, so pathetic. She seemed to believe every man was out to get her. She knew he wasn't a Death Eater, and therefore couldn't have been one of the men that had raped her, but she still didn't trust that he wouldn't. Draco whispered, "Ginny, are you afraid of me?" Ginny's eyes widened. She didn't answer him. "I know you are." He continued, standing up and stepping closer to where she crouched on the floor. She froze, watching him from the corner of her eyes. He took another step, and she seemed to shrink against the shelves at her back. "And perhaps you should be," another step, "because I am much stronger than you," another, "and I could easily hurt you." He grabbed her arm, and she squealed in shock. She tried to pull away, but she was much too weak. Draco was careful not to crush her small wrist in his hands. "And we're all alone," he whispered, his mouth at her ear. "Nobody would ever know." She yanked again, this time much harder, and surprised Draco, pulling him out of balance and down on top of her.

They fell to the ground, Ginny beneath him on the floor, Draco catching himself so he didn't crush her, his hands by her head, his knees on either side of her hips. He knew how trapped she must feel, with him pinning her arm down to the floor, his face just inches from hers. Her breathing sped up and her pulse raced under his fingertips. As he watched the rapid rise and fall of her breasts, the thought dawned on him. He _could _hurt her, easily. He _could _take her, right here, right now, on the floor, and she wouldn't be able to resist him. He imagined her naked, shivering body beneath him. And then, realizing where his thoughts were leading, observing the irritating tightening in his pants, Draco felt only disgust in himself. How could he even contemplate such a thing? Albeit, that was the point he was trying to get across to Ginny, but he should have known better than to have such sick, revolting thoughts. He was trying to help this broken girl, not hurt her more.

Draco swallowed the bile rising in his throat and he whispered, "Ginny." She shuddered at the sound of his voice, and he observed her glazed eyes, horrified face. Damnit! He was losing her, quickly, as she fell inside herself. He was sure she was remembering what happened to her that night. No, he had to keep her focused on the present, on him. Draco grabbed Ginny's face, forcing her to stare into his eyes. This seemed to snap her back into the present. "Ginny, pay attention to me. I said I could easily hurt you. And I could. I _could _rape you. I am physically capable of it. But Ginny," he stressed these words as much as he could, "_just because I _could _doesn't mean I _would."

She continued to shake beneath him, and he wasn't sure if he had gotten the point across. "Ginny, listen to me." He let go of her face and began to stroke it gently. "I am not a rapist. I am not a Death Eater. I didn't hurt you that night, you know that. I was far away, fighting with my father in his house. And if I had been there that night, I would have stopped that from ever having happened to you." He suddenly felt guilt weigh on his soul. Had Draco been able to prevent it? He tried to remember what he was doing that exact night, but all he came up with was an endless stream of beatings, each night blending into the one before and the next, until it was all a blur. Had he had an invitation to join the Death Eaters that had hurt her and turned it down, resulting in another beating from his father? Or had he never been invited at all? He didn't know for certain. There were so many Death Eaters committing so many crimes every night he couldn't keep up with them all, or with those he had been invited to join and those he hadn't. Draco forced himself back to the present. "Ginny, even though I could hurt you right now, I wouldn't because _I'm not like that_. I don't know what it will take to get that point across to you."

Finally he sighed, when he realized he wasn't going to. He just hoped he hadn't fucked everything up. Draco let go of her and sat up. She quickly scurried against the wall, shaking in fear, staring at him. She could have easily run out the door, but she didn't. That was promising. Draco leaned against the far wall, waiting. Waiting for her to run away or to approach. Waiting for her to hate him forever or to trust him. He couldn't tell what she would do.

Finally, growing annoyed with the silence, he asked, "Well, do you trust me now?"

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny jumped at the sound of his voice breaking through her thoughts. She had gone over all he had said and done a hundred times, from every angle, trying to make sense of it all. She couldn't. Ginny was confused and afraid and shocked and she wasn't sure which was strongest. She felt his eyes on her, and asked, "What?"

"Do you trust me now?" He repeated, never looking away from her. And she couldn't break that piercing gaze, though it seemed to be looking deep into her soul, stripping her of all of her protective layers. Exposing her, making her naked. It was uncomfortable and frightening and yet, she could escape it, couldn't force herself away.

Did she trust him? He had proven his point. He was powerful enough to hurt her, but he had stopped. He had claimed that even though he could, he wouldn't. And did she believe that? Did she believe he wouldn't hurt her? Obviously, he'd been given the opportunity and had pulled away. But had he been there that night, would he have stopped himself, stopped the Death Eaters?

Yes. Yes, she believed he would have prevented it. She believed he would never hurt her that way. And she did trust him. She couldn't explain why, exactly, she trusted him as much as she did, but she did trust him. She wasn't comfortable around him, far from it, and she didn't know him very well, and she was still afraid of him, but she trusted him. She nodded, slowly. "Yes, I do."

The edge of his mouth lifted up in a smile. "I'm glad," he answered in the same small whisper. Then, suddenly chipper, he went back to speaking as if that had never happened. "Y'know, after my father held my head under water like that and almost killed me, I hated him. I refused to speak to him for weeks, and if I had been stronger, I probably would have tried to physically hurt him. More than once I wanted to hurt him, to drown him, so he knew what it felt like." He grinned. "So, I'll understand if you want to hit me or something. If it'll make you feel better."

Ginny felt a strange sensation then. Her heart fluttered and her mouth lifted, and she didn't quite understand what it was at first. Then she remembered. This was smiling. Ginny tried to force it down, the smile, but it was harder to resist than crying or even falling asleep.

He continued. "And if you want to pin me down and threaten to rape me, I won't resist." He joked. "Just so you know."

Ginny lowered her face, burying it in her legs so he wouldn't see the smile on her lips. She couldn't stop her shoulders from shaking though, just slightly. He must have noticed, because he came to sit beside her, his hand on her back. "Hey, what's wrong? I was just kidding."

She shook her head, tears springing to her eyes with the effort she was putting into not laughing. Draco pulled at her shoulder, lifting her up, and she tried to make her face a mask like he always did. He gasped dramatically and she heard the amusement in his voice as he teased, "Is that a smile I see on your face, Miss Weasley? You'd better be careful with that thing. Somebody might see it and have a heart attack."

Ginny found she couldn't resist anymore. She burst out laughing, hiding her mouth under her hand and her face behind her hair. She could hear Draco's chuckles. "And…why…is that?" she asked between giggles.

"Because it's too beautiful. They would fall in love with you immediately." She stared at him, uncomfortable from the seriousness in his voice. "That, and the shock of seeing it at all. They would drop dead on the spot."

"Then why aren't you dead?" she asked, her voice thick with laughter, as she pointed at him.

He clutched at his heart and stood, backing away from her, covering his eyes. Draco swooned dramatically and fell to the ground, shaking a few times before going still. He opened one eye and watched her collapse into a fit of giggles.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"When I was younger my mother entered me in a Little Miss Witch pageant."

"A what pageant?" Draco asked, looking confused.

"Little Miss Witch. Where they dress up little girls in fancy dresses and put makeup on them and make them look ten years older, then make them prance around on the stage and show them off like brooms up for auction," Ginny explained.

"And what happened?"

"I got disqualified because I punched a girl in the face and broke her nose."

Draco's eyes widened in surprise and he leaned back a bit, as if afraid she would hit him. "What did she say to you?!"

"She called me carrot top."

He burst into laughter, and Ginny's small giggles followed suit. A clock chimed somewhere far off, and Draco wondered how long they had been sitting here talking. It seemed just a few minutes, but it must have been hours. The unlabelled jars sat on the floor beside Draco and Ginny, who had drifted closer as the hours went by, until they sat side by side. They had told stories for a long time, all funny ones, neither wanting to ruin the moment by touching on some sadder memory. Draco found himself staring at Ginny, enthralled by her smile. It had to be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. And her laughter. At first it had sounded rusty and unused, but still it chimed like the most musical sound in the world. He was all too aware of the warmth of her arm against his, the occasional accidental brush of their hands, the smell of her shampoo. "It's eleven already," he commented, counting the chimes as they ended. "We've been here for four hours."

Ginny nodded. "I wonder where Snape is. What is he doing out this late?"

"I don't know," Draco lied. Of course, he did. He had asked Snape to stay away from the classroom for the rest of the night to give Draco some alone time with Ginny. He was sure the man was fast asleep in his room by now, which was just down the hall, halfway between his class and the Slytherin Commons room. Draco wasn't comfortable being so close to the Commons, but thankfully none of the Slytherins had passed by Snape's classroom on a late night excursion.

Ginny seemed troubled by something. Her laughter had stopped and her face had become serious again. "Why is he back at the school, Draco?"

"Why? Oh, you mean after what happened with Dumbledore?"

Ginny nodded. "I can't see how he was allowed to come back after killing the Headmaster."

"Well didn't you read the newspapers this summer?" Draco asked in confusion. "The trial was in there." Ginny shook her head. No, he supposed she hadn't had much contact with the Wizarding World at all this summer. "Well, it's a long story." He sighed. "You know that it was my task to kill Dumbledore, don't you?"

Ginny nodded. "I heard from Harry about it last year."

"Then you know I couldn't kill him? I didn't have it in me." Ginny nodded again. "Well, you see, my mother was afraid of what my father, and worse, the Dark Lord, would do to me if I didn't complete my task. She knew I wasn't strong enough to be a murderer. So she had Severus make an Unbreakable Vow. If I couldn't kill Dumbledore, Snape would." He took a deep breath. "That's what happened that night. Snape killed Dumbledore for me and we made our escape before the Aurors could get us. For three weeks we hid out in the wilderness, afraid to approach civilization. Snape, as you know, was a false Death Eater working for the Order of the Phoenix, and I never wanted to be one in the first place. But with Dumbledore no longer there to vouch for us before the Order, and because I had failed to please the Death Eaters, we had nowhere to go.

"However, my father didn't give up the search. He wanted to punish me for my insolence. He finally discovered us and brought us back to Lord Voldemort. Snape explained that I had been too weak to commit the crime myself but that I shouldn't be punished. He claimed we had been hiding out from the Ministry. He suffered the Dark Lord's wrath for me. Voldemort would have quickly killed me without any remorse, but Snap was too valuable to him, so he only tortured him and left my punishment to my father.

"Finally, Voldemort accepted that Snape would have to go to trial before the Ministry if he wanted his job back. Voldemort needs him working in the school so he knows what is happening inside Hogwarts," Draco explained. "Severus went before the court and explained himself, and all the charges on him and me were quickly dropped."

"But how?" Ginny asked in confusion. "How did they just forgive him that easily?"

"Don't you get it, Ginny?" Draco asked, shaking his head. "The court, the trial, the Ministry, they were already set up for the charges to be dropped. They were just to satisfy the people, so that nobody questioned why Snape had gotten back his job." Ginny still didn't get it. "Ginny, the Ministry isn't what it used to be. It's slowly being taken over by the Death Eaters. Very little of it is run justly anymore. Wizards and witches are being kept oblivious as the Ministry begins to change its rules and regulations. In just a few years time, it will be completely owned by the Death Eaters, and they will use it merely as a tool to reach their ends."

Ginny gasped, staring at him in shock. "But…my father…"

"Yes, your father still has his job. For now. But I'm sure even he is beginning to become wary of the situation. His branch is one of little importance, so it hasn't been taken over yet, and perhaps won't be for a long time, but sooner or later he will be out of a job and watching with the rest of us the corruption of the Ministry.

"Of course, McGonagall couldn't do anything to protest the Ministry's decision, even though she is beginning to catch onto the situation. So, Severus got his job back and I was allowed to return to the school."

Ginny was silent as she contemplated this. Finally, she spoke. "Then, Snape is a good guy?"

Draco nodded. "Yeah, he's a good guy. He was only protecting me. He had to go back to pretending to be a Death Eater, but I could still manage to escape. He couldn't help me after I ran away though, not without being caught. So I was on my own for past few months."

"Will you tell me about it? About what happened?" She yawned tiredly.

Draco smiled. "Maybe some other time. It's a long story, and it's late. We should both get to bed."

Ginny nodded and Draco stood, helping her up. "What about the Potions ingredients?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it." Draco didn't admit that it had been a setup. He didn't think Ginny would like that very much. "C'mon, I'll walk you back to your Commons."

They walked in silence, being careful not to get caught by any of the Prefects out on duty or by Filch. Once they almost passed Peeves, but he heard a commotion down the hall and so they avoided crossing paths. Finally, Draco got Ginny to her Commons room. "Well, this is where I leave you."

Ginny nodded, shifting from one foot to the other. Draco smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. She was still jumpy, so he wasn't surprised when she shied away from his touch, but he didn't let go. "I'll see you around," he promised. Draco lifted her chin in the air, tired of seeing her with her eyes turned down all the time. He turned and left, waving back at her, and again waited around the corner until he was sure she was safely in her Commons room. He had a grin on his face all the way to his room.


	8. Friends

A/N: Here is chapter eight! Yay! Sorry, I would have gotten it up yesterday afternoon, but my internet wasn't working, and the school's internet blocked me from the site. I came home and it still wasn't working, went away from the computer, came back, and magic! It works! I don't get technology sometimes...

What to say? I absolutely adore the Draco/Ginny fan videos on YouTube. I keep watching them and seeing these scenes (from the Harry Potter movies and others) that would be so great in a video based off of this story. I just wish I knew how to make vids! Sigh.

Well, enough chatter. Enjoy and review!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

I remember when  
We used to laugh  
About nothing at all  
It was better than going mad  
From trying to solve all the problems we're going through  
Forget 'em all  
Cause on those nights we would stand and never fall  
Together we faced it all  
Remember when we'd

Stay up late and we'd talk all night  
In a dark room lit by the TV light  
Through all the hard times in my life  
Those nights kept me alive

We'd listen to the radio play all night  
Didn't want to go home to another fight  
Through all the hard times in my life  
Those nights kept me alive

I remember when  
We used to drive  
Anywhere but here  
As long as we'd forget our lives  
We were so young and confused that we didn't know  
To laugh or cry  
Those nights were ours  
They will live and never die  
Together we'd stand forever  
Remember when we'd

-Those Nights by Skillet

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Ginny stared blankly out the window at the dark night sky, the twinkling stars above. There was no moon out tonight to bathe the grounds in its light, and off in the forest she could hear wild creatures calling to each other, the sound sending shivers up her spine. Or perhaps it was the cold air that chilled her to the bone and made her wish she had worn warmer socks and perhaps shoes as well. But shoes were too loud when one was sneaking out of her commons room at ten o'clock at night.

She had gotten the letter that morning. Draco had passed her in the hallway and, with a private smile, slipped the note into her hand. She had stared at him curiously and as he passed her he turned, placing a finger on his lips and winking before walking off nonchalantly.

Ginny looked down at the worn, crumpled note in her hand that she must have read a hundred times by now. It was simple and to the point. Not a question or request, but an order.

Ginny,

Meet me in front of the prefects' bathroom at ten.

-Draco

That was it. Simple. Nothing more. No explanation. Vague, confusing, dangerous. She wondered, not for the first time, why she had actually come.

She trusted Draco, right? Yes, she knew she did. She didn't understand what made her trust him. If it had been his strange lesson in detention or if she had instinctually known that he would never do anything to hurt her. But then again, her instincts weren't exactly in tune, if what had happened over the summer was any indication. She pushed that thought away. Something about Draco made you want to trust him. There was some strange innocent kindness in his eyes, a laughter in his voice, a smile always on his face.

But still, she didn't feel comfortable, meeting him in the middle of the night like this. She still didn't know him very well. What if he did have ill intentions? Maybe she shouldn't have come at all. In all honesty, Ginny completely forgot about the note for the rest of the day, only remembering it when she opened her bag and found it pressed between her books. But the reason for her not remembering his note wasn't sheer forgetfulness.

It was what had happened just after he had slipped the note into her hand. Meandering slowly through the students in the hallway, she had glanced up to see where she was going when, through the massive crowd of people, her brown eyes locked with someone's bright blue ones.

Bright blue eyes. Icy blue eyes. Cruel blue eyes. She blinked, just for a second, and they were gone, but those eyes, they were so similar…no, they were the exact same ones! They had to be! She knew them by now, she saw them every night in her nightmares. There was no doubt they were _his_ eyes. The man that had raped her. The leader of the group. The one that had whispered in her ear. Told them what to do to her to make her suffer most.

She had turned and turned in circles, searching every face frantically, especially the male ones, looking into people's eyes on purpose, something she couldn't recall doing in ages. And in vain. She found nothing. She continued to whirl like a wild woman until she was dizzy and collapsed against the wall, eyes wide, tears streaming down her face, heart racing. He was in the school with her. In the very same hallways as her. And he could be any of them. _Any of them._

People whispered and stared as they passed, some pointing, and she turned from their gossip and fled down the hall, escaping to the nearest bathroom where she collapsed against the wall. She hid out there for the rest of the day, shaking from head to toe, unable to get the image of his haunting blue eyes out of her head.

Ginny eventually fell asleep from the exhaustion, both mental and physical, and did not wake for hours, and when she did it was only to the sound of Moaning Myrtle crying in her stall. Ginny stood quietly, not wanting to disturb the girl's ghost, but she of course knew Ginny was already there. As she moved to leave the bathroom, she and Myrtle crossed paths. They both paused, staring at each other, Ginny with an expression that was a mixture of shock and numbness, Myrtle in curiosity. Ginny nodded to the girl and left the room, feeling the apparition's eyes on her back as she left.

She had found the note, remembered it, slipped out, and now here she was, staring out the window at the dark night, alone in an empty corridor, waiting for a boy whom she was probably wrong to trust. All of her nerves screamed at her to leave and she sighed resolutely, deciding she would wait only a minute more before-

A hand came down on her shoulder and Ginny squeeked, too surprised to make any other noise. The owner of the hand wheeled her around with a chuckle, and she was met with a wide, silly grin. "You actually came. I wasn't sure you would."

"I nearly forgot." Ginny replied breathlessly.

"Forgot?!" He looked appalled and offended, and raised his voice in mock hurt. Ginny glanced around the hallways, hoping nobody heard. "However could you forget me? That hurts me, Ginny." He pretended to swoon in pain.

"Be quiet, you fool, unless you want us to get caught," she hissed back at him, suddenly irritated. He stood straight immediately. "Now tell me what you want and you'd better make it worth my trip down here. I was nearly caught by a patrolling prefect."

Draco smiled at her. "I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" If he noticed the suspicion in her voice, he ignored it. Draco grabbed her hand, startling her, and lurched her forward, pulling her through the halls as if they're life depended on it. "Draco, where are we going?" She whispered again, her eyebrows narrowed in confusion as he pulled her along.

"It's not great or anything, a bit shabby, but I wanted to show it to you. Since you trust me and all, I figured I should trust you, right?" He smiled back at her, nearly running into the wall in the process. "The prefects' bathroom just happens to be halfway between your common room and-here." He skidded to a stop and she ran into him. Draco's arms wrapped around her waist to catch her and stop her from falling, and they spun halfway around from the momentum of the stop. When Ginny's head quit spinning and her feet fixed themselves under her, she lurched away from him.

"_Where_ are we, exactly?" Ginny asked, glancing around them. They were on a dark, quiet, narrow hallway that she didn't recognize. To the left was the direction they had come and to the right it ended, splitting off into two different halls. She had never had classes over here and could not identify the heavy wooden door before them or where it led. Draco's face lit up in that amused grin he always wore.

"My surprise. Come, my lady," he said with a flourish, holding open the door before her. "Step over the threshold and into my palace."

She lifted an eyebrow skeptically and walked into the room, glancing around her. It looked like an ordinary classroom, and though it was clean, it didn't appear to have been used in years. All of the desks had been pushed together to form a table and the chairs had been placed around them. Over top he had laid a sheet for a tablecloth. The room was fairly bare except for this makeshift table and the teacher's chalkboard on the far wall. There was a single light fixture with mostly burned out candles that only dimly lit up the room. There were a few windows looking out over the Forbidden Forest, though she noticed no other landmarks to help her distinguish where she was in the castle. Draco had stepped in behind her and closed the door, locking it, which made her nervous. He noticed her expression. "Oh, this is just in case some Slytherins figure out that I'm living here."

"You live here?" she asked in surprise, glancing around the small classroom.

"Well, not here. This is my dining room," he motioned to the table. "And that is the grand ball room." Draco pointed to the open space to her right. "And over here is the living room." He took her hand, leading her to the far side of a room where another door stood open, light spilling out of it. Inside was a smaller space, almost cramped, with some couches on one side around a small fireplace and a bed pushed up against the other wall. "And that is my bedroom." He pointed to the bed. "And this is the study and library." His head nodded to the desk between the couches and the bed. Over it was the only window in the room, this one facing the mountains to the west. Beside it were stacks of school books, some of which appeared to be from a few years ago. His trunk, where he must have kept his clothes, he had slid under the bed.

"Wow…" she whispered, staring around her. "This is…unexpected."

"Unexpected? How?" he asked, his head tilting to the side.

"It's just…very humble…for Draco Malfoy."

"Yes, for Draco Malfoy, I presume it would be atrocious."

"So…why do you live here then?"

He grinned. "Well, I'm not Draco Malfoy."

"You're not?" She lifted an eyebrow skeptically. "Then...who are you?"

"Why, I suppose I never did make a proper introduction, did I?" He flourished his hand, holding it out to her. Tentatively, she took it. "I, my lady, am simply, Draco." He grinned at her, bringing her knuckles to his lips and kissing her hand.

She pulled it away immediately with a sharp intake of breath. He noticed her glare and stood up straight, dropping his hand back to his side. Ginny turned to avoid his gaze and her eyes fell on it. Leaning against the wall beside the books was a broom. A Nimbus 2001. It wasn't as nice as Harry's Firebolt, but it was still more beautiful, sleek, and elegant than any broom she had ever owned. She ran her hands over the handle of it in awe.

"Do you like it? Would you want to ride it?" he asked, sitting down on one of the couches.

"Oh. No." She dropped her hand, embarrassed at being caught. "I don't ride."

"What do you mean, you don't ride? I saw you last year! You were fantastic!"

"I don't ride…anymore." The words hung between them heavily. Finally, he broke the silence. "Sit down. Make yourself comfortable." He patted the space beside him. "The fire is nice and warm and you must be cold."

Ginny tentatively stepped over to the fire, glancing at the loveseat he was sitting on and at the smaller, single chair next to it. She sat down there quickly, curling her legs up to her chest and leaning towards the warm fire. "So…why did you show all of this to me?"

He shrugged, not taking his eyes off of her, which was disconcerting. It always felt as if he were staring at her, even when she looked away, as she had done now. "I figured, you trust me, then I should be able to trust you. This is my hiding place. Where I live. I just have to hope you won't go telling any big bad Slytherins about it."

She looked at him in surprise. "As if I would talk to any of them. But…why do you live here? And not with them?"

"Ginny, I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation. I ran away from home. Away from my duties as a Death Eater. I refused the Dark Mark, Ginny. I am as good as dead to them. Well not even, because I am alive. No, I am…well, I am just another target, so to speak. Even more so because I offended Voldemort."

"You mean, they would hurt you?"

"Oh, no doubt of it. They probably wouldn't kill me. I'm too valuable. Lucius, and perhaps even Voldemort himself, both want to teach me a lesson for my insolence. But they would beat me, every chance they got, you saw that yourself a few weeks ago, when they caught me alone in the hall."

"Why didn't you report them?"

"And have the whole school find out that I had just let them beat me? That I had just let my father beat me?" She nodded. "Ginny, I would have thought you of all people would have understood the best. I was ashamed. I didn't want anyone to know." She looked down at her hands, which were clenching at her robes. Of course she knew. If she had been given the choice, she would have made sure nobody had found out about what had happened that night to her. She would have kept it a secret and taken it to her grave. As it was, she didn't have a choice, and the whole of wizarding England now knew, thanks to Rita Skeeter.

"So you're stuck living here?" she asked, glancing around his room again. It was small, the couches were dilapidated and used, as was the bed, but it was all fairly clean and neat, which surprised her. Most of the men in her family weren't obsessed with cleanliness like Draco was. Maybe it was a habit that came with growing up rich.

"It's not so bad, really. I never really liked anyone in Slytherin, and I'm not exactly a social person. You help with the loneliness, certainly." He smiled. "You and Severus are pretty much the only people I ever talk to anymore." He sighed. "I do wish, sometimes, that I could change houses though. Maybe be a Gryff. Do I fit the profile?" Draco laughed at Ginny's scrunched up face as she tried to picture him in Gryffindor house. She thought he might be in more danger than he was in Slytherin. "Seriously, though. The whole system is stupid. You are put in this house at eleven, supposedly based off of your personality, but we all know it is really based off of your family history. Supposedly we get a choice, but at age eleven, we always choose what our parents would want from us."

"You don't like the houses, then?"

"Of course not! It's all set up wrong. Once you're in a house, there's no getting out of it. No changing your mind. You're stuck with the same people year after year, all who are supposed to have the same qualities as you, but in the end, don't we all have much more complex personalities than just bravery, cunning, loyalty, and intelligence? Don't we all have many aspects of that? In the end, all it does is promote house rivalries and clichéd ideas that all Slytherins are evil and all Gryffindors are heroes and all Ravenclaws are haughty and all Hufflepuffs are pushovers."  
She thought it over. "I never really thought of it that way, but there is a lot of truth in your words." Ginny smiled sadly. "I'm not really a Gryffindor anymore than you are a Slytherin."

He paused in his rant, staring at her in surprise. "What do you mean by that?"

Ginny shrugged, picking at the hem of her pants. "I'm not brave or courageous or strong, and I'm certainly not a hero."

Ginny felt his hand on her shoulder. The touch burned her. She shrank away from it, wanting to shrug it off but not wanting to hurt his feelings. "I think you're courageous, Ginny."

She shook her head. "I'm afraid of everything."

Silence hung between them as she sat stiffly and uncomfortably, wishing he would remove his hand. Finally, he let go and sat back, and she exhaled the breath she had been holding in relief. "I suppose I did promise to tell you about what had happened when I ran away from home." Ginny nodded, chancing a glance at Draco face. He was staring out the window, though he didn't appear to actually see anything in particular. "You saw me. In the hospital. Do you remember?"

Again, she nodded. "You had broken your arm flying."

Draco chuckled, though no humor met his eyes. "No, not flying. I had broken it, or rather my father had, the night I tried to run away." He took a slow, deep breath. "I was supposed to get the Dark Mark that night. I had been planning to escape for weeks after my father found me, but I overheard my parents discussing my coronation ceremony. The date had been set for that night and they hadn't told me. He knew what I would try to do. So, I was forced to change my plans and pack my bags in less than an hour, taking only what I would need: my clothes, my broom, some food, my schoolbooks, and all the money I had, which wasn't much. I was almost to the fireplace, almost free, when my father surprised me. He was there, waiting for me, though how he knew I was running away and exactly which fireplace in the manor I would choose I don't know."

"What happened?"

"He attacked me. He beat me." Ginny winced at his nonchalance. "He might have even killed me, but I fought back and managed to escape. You don't want to know all the details. But I had a broken arm and a lot of bruises. I came to the hospital because I was too exhausted to heal myself and besides, I've never been great at healing bones. I had to make up that ridiculous story to explain it, though I know the mediwitch didn't believe it." He shrugged. "That was the night I saw you."

Ginny nodded. It had been, from what she was told, three days after her attack. She had only then been able to get out of bed and roam around the dark hallways at night, and had by chance seen Draco's interview with the skeptical nurse.

"The next day I left. All I had was what I had brought with me, which wasn't much. I went to the only respectable, though inconspicuous, place I could think of, the Leaky Cauldron. I got a room there but I knew with the money I had I couldn't afford to rent it out but for a few weeks. So I struck a deal with the owner, Tom, to work the bar every night for room and board and I could keep my scanty tips. They weren't much, especially when you had been living a life of luxury before, but anything was better than returning to my father and the Death Eaters."

"And he never found you?"

"Oh, he did, of course. It didn't take him long to discover where I was hiding. He even came to my room, in the dead of night, and almost killed me. I barely managed to explain to him that if he did kill me, everyone would know it was him. Tom suspected, though I never told him outright, that I had run away from home and an abusive parent, and he always kept careful tabs on me to make sure the man hadn't tried to hurt me. I explained all of this, and how if Lucius tried to take me back Tom would make sure the whole wizarding world found out about his abuse. It surprised me when Lucius actually saw reason and let me go. He left with a warning that the next time I was alone and not under someone's care, he would find me and bring me back to Voldemort. Which is why I've been hiding out here."

"You think the Slytherins would try to take you to your father?"

"No. They are smart enough to know that the professors would get suspicious if a student disappeared. They know it would be looked into and they would be discovered as the kidnappers. But I think they would send me his love every chance they got."

Ginny winced. "What happened while you were living there this summer?"

"Oh, not much really. I made acquaintance with Tom and other people who worked there. Especially the women on the street." He blushed. "They liked me. They realized after a few tries that I wasn't interested in them, but they still made the suggestion occasionally. They were nice. I don't think I've ever met women who were more…comfortable with themselves. They seemed to like their job; they didn't just see it as a way to make money. They were very positive people."

Ginny looked at her hands, wondering at the strange pang she felt in her chest. She didn't trust these women. She hadn't even met them, and yet...she disliked them? "It sounds like you had relations with them," she teased, ignoring the confusing emotions.

"Relations? Oh, you think I dated them? Had sex with them?" She must have made a strange face, because he laughed at her then. "No, no, far from it. We were friends, but as I said, I wasn't attracted to them. In fact, you'd probably be surprised to learn that I'm a virgin."

Ginny stared at him, mouth opened in surprise. "But…I mean…even I've heard stories. Girls who aren't even in Slytherin house talk about you." She blushed, suddenly embarrassed as she remembered the rumors she'd heard about him.

Draco chuckled again, sitting back and lacing his hands behind his head. "Yes. Stories. And that's all they are. I'm sure you can guess who made them up." Ginny shook her head. "Ahh, that would be the work of Pansy Parkison. She's always had a crush on me. I can't stand her. I always resisted her when she threw herself at me." He sounded disgusted. "So she made up stories of us being together. Rumors spread like wildfire and other girls started adding in their stories and that's how I got this reputation I never wanted." Ginny smiled, hiding it behind her hand. "What? What are you laughing at?" She shook her head. "Tell me!"

Ginny chuckled under her breath. Glancing at his offended expression, she found herself laughing out loud. "It's just…most guys would be happy to have a reputation like that that they never had to work for."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Most guys. Well, I'm _not _most guys. I would rather not be known for shagging all the sluttiest girls in school and then some."

Ginny nodded. "I've noticed. That you're not most guys, I mean."

Draco smiled at her then, his lips curling up on the side, his eyes twinkling. The firelight hit the side of his face, making it glow pink, casting the other side in shadow. His messy hair fell into his grey eyes, eyes that always seemed to be seeing into her soul. She gasped in surprise, turning her wide eyes away from his silver ones and staring at the glaring firelight instead. When she blinked, his face was still imprinted in her mind.

"Ginny." She shuddered at the way her name sounded coming from him. It was almost a whisper, a caress. She didn't like it. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Ginny stood, heading towards the door. She didn't want to be here anymore. Their talk was nice, but she felt uncomfortable, confused. And Ginny hated to be confused. She was almost to the door when she was yanked back suddenly, caught off guard. She turned, staring at her hand, which was gripped by his. "What? Let me go!"

He seemed surprised. "Ginny, what's wrong? Did I say something to offend you?"

"I'm fine. Now let go."

"No." His face was scrunched up in irritation and confusion. "Don't leave angry. Especially when I don't know what you're angry about. Now tell me." His voice was a command, and she knew he wouldn't let her go without an explanation.

She sighed tiredly, rubbing the bridge of her nose between her eyes. The headache didn't go away. Ginny wracked her brain for an acceptable answer. "I'm just stressed out is all. I'm failing my classes and I'm behind on homework and I haven't been able to sleep well."

He grinned. "Is that all? Here I thought I'd done something to make you mad at me. Which classes are you behind in?"

"All of them."

He whistled, then nodded. "Right. Well, which is the easiest for you?"

She shrugged. "None of them. Though if I had to choose…Charms, probably."

He grinned. "Well, you're in luck. I'm alright at Charms, and I already had that class last year. I still have the book in fact."

"I don't understand…"

Draco dropped her hand and went to his stack of books, rummaging through it. He pulled one out with a triumphant, "Aha!" He held it up and she recognized it as a newer version of her dilapidated, hand-me-down book in her room. "I'm going to tutor you. You're in chapter three by now, correct?"

"Four." She replied.

He whistled again. "We've got a lot of work to do."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

When Ginny got back to her Common room later that night, or perhaps it was early the next morning, she was exhausted. Draco had spent hours going through the first chapter with her, teaching her the each of the spells she was supposed to already have learned. She thought she got the basics of them, at least. When he had walked her back to her Commons, he gave her a potion, explaining, "The only thing that I know of that will help you sleep is a dreamless sleeping draught, but this will help you wake up in the morning. Put a drop of it in your drink every morning and it will pep you up for hours. Don't use more than a drop, though, or you'll stay awake for days, and the repercussions are horrible."

She nodded, taking it from him with a "Thank you."

His hand touched hers and lingered for a few moments before he dropped it, turning to leave. "Come by again tomorrow around eight. We'll study more Charms."

As he walked away, Ginny asked, "Why are you doing all of this, Draco?"

He spun on his heels and began walking backwards slowly, grinning at her. "Well, this is what friends do for each other." Ginny was so surprised she dropped the bottle. She had to admit he had fast reflexes. His wand whipped out and he caught it with a levitating spell before it could hit the floor. "Be careful, that stuff's expensive."

"Friends? Is that what we are, then?"

He nodded. "Though, we should probably keep it quiet, our friendship, I mean. I think the school would have a fit if they saw us together. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor. A Malfoy and a Weasley. It's not exactly normal."

She tilted her head to the side. "I thought you said you weren't a Malfoy anymore? Or a Slytherin, for that matter?"

Draco beamed at her attentiveness. "I suppose you're right. But I still would hate to think what the Golden Trio would do to me if they found out I was hanging around you every night. I'm more afraid of them than my father or the Slytherins." Draco shuddered, and she couldn't tell if it was for dramatic purposes or completely genuine.

Ginny smiled at her feet. "Friends…" She tested the word on her tongue. "I am friends with Draco Ma—with Draco."

She left him then, sneaking up to her room quietly with that silly grin still on her face. Ginny made her way to her bed by feel alone, careful not to disturb the other girls sleeping, and hid the bottle in the drawer of her nightstand. Without even bothering to change into her sleeping gown she collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion, and for the first time in months she slept fully, not waking once from terrifying nightmares.


	9. Nightmare

A/N: Here is chapter 9 everyone! Enjoy!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Red rain is coming down  
Red rain  
Red rain is pouring down  
Pouring down all over me

I am standing up at the water's edge in my dream  
I cannot make a single sound as you scream  
It cant be that cold, the ground is still warm to touch  
This place is so quiet, sensing that storm

Red rain-  
Putting the pressure on much harder now  
To return again and again  
Just let the red rain splash you  
Let the rain fall on your skin  
I come to you defences down  
With the trust of a child

Red rain is coming down  
Red rain  
Red rain is pouring down  
Pouring down all over me  
And I can't watch any more  
No more denial  
Its so hard to lay down in all of this  
Red rain is coming down  
Red rain is pouring down  
Red rain is coming down all over me

-Red Rain by Peter Gabriel

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny knocked on the door of the classroom as she opened it, peeking her head inside. Draco glanced up at her with a smile, his whole face lighting up. He had been tutoring her for weeks, but his face still lit up every time she opened the door and stepped into his room. How a person could be so excited to see someone every day, to see _her_ every day, she could never understand.

Ginny waited as he moved his makeshift dining table to the side of the room, clearing out a large space in the center, and tried not to yawn. Her visits to him every night often left her exhausted, but the benefits far outweighed the consequences. After Ginny spent all night studying with Draco she was so tired she collapsed into bed and fell asleep immediately. She often slept through the night, and though she still had nightmares, even those had begun to be less often and severe. And although she usually felt tired the next day, his potion helped to keep her awake. He had caught her up in all of her classes in just a month. She had taken an exam in Transfiguration and actually managed to pass it with a decent grade. It would be awhile, of course, before her grades improved in all her classes, but it was helpful that she wasn't completely in the dark. Now, when she came for tutoring, he helped her with her homework and when they finished that, taught her new spells that she hadn't learned yet. Most of them were defensive spells, and though they both knew why she needed to practice them, they didn't ever talk about it. What had happened over the summer was a topic that, although alluded to and predominant in all of their conversations, they never directly discussed. Which was fine with her.

Ginny had grown comfortable with Draco. She could even say they were friends now, though this friendship they kept secret from everyone else. But she wasn't ready to open up and tell him everything that had happened that night. If he asked, she would most likely refuse. But Draco didn't ask. He seemed to understand what made her uncomfortable, and was careful not to cross those boundaries, something she was thankful for. Spending time with Draco was her escape. When she was with him, she forgot about everything else in her life but him. All of her worries, her problems, her nightmares, just seemed to disappear. It was as if he emitted an aura that had a similar effect as a pepper-up potion. One just couldn't be unhappy around him.

Draco had finished pushing the desks to the side and now he stood before her, wand in hand. He had taken off his shirt and tossed it on the floor nonchalantly, and she suddenly found the room to be stifling warm. Draco's pale skin was covered in little beads of sweat from his exertion. She found herself blushing and staring at the far wall to avoid looking at his chest. "Your shirt…" she pointed out.

"Oh, yeah, it's too hot in here," he said with a shrug. "I worked up a sweat moving all those desks."

"They have spells for that, y'know," the redhead pointed out sarcastically.

"Yeah, but I needed the exercise. Ready to begin?"

"What, exactly, are we doing today?" she asked, still uncomfortable.

"I'm teaching you a new spell." He had a mischievous sort of smile on his face. "It is definitely…not one you'll learn in class."

"What is it?"

"You'll see."

Ginny lifted an eyebrow skeptically. "Is it illegal?"

"No…just not taught at Hogwarts."

"So what are we doing?"

He grinned. "We're exploding things."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Of course we are. Typical male. I already know how to make objects explode, Draco."

"Ahh, but you know the spell Expulso, correct? I'm talking about the spell Confringo. It is much stronger and can be used much more affectively on…well, let's just say it's not in the curriculum because if it was used on a human it would kill them."

Her eyes widened. "But I don't want to kill anyone."

"And I'm not saying you will. But for defensive purposes it is much better."

"And why is that? What will it do to a human being?"

He grimaced. "It's a bit…bloody. Expulso will, if cast on a human, blow off a ligament, usually something small like a hand. Confringo will…well, it will cover a much larger area. Usually the entire body. Hence why you'll never learn it from any of our professors."

"Then how did you learn it?"

"My father, of course." He shrugged.

"But I don't want to kill anyone." she repeated. "I don't see why I need to know it."

He frowned and stepped closer to her, looking her in the eyes. She fidgeted nervously, trying to ignore the fact that his bare chest was just a few centimeters from her own. "It is better to know how to defend yourself and never have to, than to not know when the time comes that you do."

"It's a bit too late for that," she whispered, staring at the floor.

Ginny felt Draco's fingertips on her chin and he lifted her face up. "It's never too late to learn. Now stand back." Draco commanded, holding his wand out. She was all too glad to take a step away from him. Or five. "Now, I want you to throw that plate into the air when I say so. Throw it away from you, not straight up." Ginny glanced to her right to find a stack of dinner plates on the floor that she hadn't seen before. How he had snuck all of them out of the Great Hall she was unsure. The redhead nodded, picking the top one up off of the pile. Draco shifted his leg back into stance, lifted his arm, and gave the command. The plate soared through the air and, with a flourish, Draco yelled, "Confringo!"

There was a loud explosion, making Ginny squeek and duck behind Draco to avoid getting hit by any shards of dishware. He chuckled and reached behind him, pulling her away from his back. "It's alright. The worse that can happen is you'd get some dust in your eyes."

"What do you mean?" She glanced around them in surprise. There was no evidence of the dish left anywhere.

"Look at the floor."

Ginny's eyes lowered to the floor. There, on the wood, lay a pile of fine dust, the particles no larger than sand. She gulped. "And…you would do that to a human?"

His face was grave. "I never have, but when I was taught the spell, that was the goal I was told to keep in mind. Now, you're going to try."

"Me? I'm going to try _that_?" Her voice was meek. "I don't think I want to…Besides, won't someone hear that explosion?" She asked, trying to find an excuse to avoid the inevitable.

Draco smiled and shook his head. "I placed a silencing charm on the room, no one will hear. Come on, now, it's easy. Here, put your left foot back like this." He stood beside her, showing her how to position her arms and feet. "No, no, you're doing it wrong. Here." Draco put his wand in his pocket and leaned over, grabbing Ginny's leg, shifting it back at a 45 degree angle. Then he stood behind her with a smile, his hand holding hers. "Like this." He showed her how to move her wrist in the right movements.

Ginny couldn't concentrate on what he was saying. His bare chest was pressed up against her back, which was very disconcerting, and his cool hand was wrapped around hers, which now felt feverish along with the rest of her body. When he began showing her the movements, their bodies shifting together, her heart rate sped up and she felt sick to her stomach. Her head began to pound. A bead of sweat trickled down her spine between her shoulder blades.

"Now, try it." He stepped back. "I'll warn you when I throw it." He picked up a plate off of the floor, twisted his arm behind him, and in one fluid motion threw it into the air. She stared, mesmerized, at the muscles of his back and arms and chest flex and move under his skin. Draco's command reminded her of what she was doing and she quickly said the spell, trying to aim her wand at the moving object.

The spell hit the ceiling, blasting a hole in the stone. Thankfully it was so thick it didn't go straight through to the level above. The plate hit the wall, breaking, and large jagged chunks of it fell to the floor. She winced and gave him an apologetic look.

"That's okay, we'll try again."

They did. Again and again and again. Eventually his ceiling was covered in burnt indentions in the stone and he had to repair the plates so they had enough for her to use. It was much harder than it looked to hit a moving object. Especially when she was as distracted as she was. Every time she tried Draco corrected her stance or gave her hints, things that would normally be helpful if he wasn't always touching her in order to do so. It didn't help any that he didn't bother to put his shirt back on. As the hour ticked by, she felt worse and worse. More distracted, more lightheaded, more sick to her stomach. She found she had to stare at his lips just to concentrate on what he was saying. A buzzing in her head that had begun long ago grew increasingly louder and louder, and she couldn't seem to get her eyes or brain to focus. To his credit, Draco was very patient, never once growing annoyed with her or complaining about his arm hurting, though she saw him rubbing it after a while. In fact, he seemed to draw energy from their practice, which only drained her.

"Alright, again!" He picked up a plate. "Go!"

Ginny was so exhausted and tired of it she didn't even bother to aim this time. She shut her eyes when she said the spell, aiming in the general area where he'd been throwing. There was the same sound of an explosion and dust falling to the floor, but this time a different noise was added into the mixture. It was the sound of Draco yelling triumphantly. She opened her eyes in surprise to find him grinning at her and pulling her into a hug. "That was great! You did it!"

Ginny stared in shock at the pile of debris on the floor where there would have been a plate. She was so shocked she didn't even push Draco off of her. She glanced up at his face, his lips pulled up in a smile, his eyes shining in pride, and began to feel dizzy. If he hadn't been holding her, she would have fallen over. Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find her voice. Her eyes went out of focus, her muscles weakly gave way, and her vision went dark.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco caught Ginny as she collapsed into his arms, unconscious. He stared at her in surprise, shaking her a few times. "Ginny? Ginny? Are you okay?" She didn't stir, though her eyelids fluttered. Had he hurt her? Had he worked her to exhaustion? Should he wake her up or let her sleep?

He went to touch her face and suddenly realized how hot and clammy she was. Her skin was feverish under his hand and moist with sweat. Her breathing was rapid and shallow and she let out a moan.

Was she sick? She hadn't acted it. She looked as tired as usual, with shadows under her eyes, but she always looked that way. He hadn't thought twice about it. He suddenly realized she must have been ill and not told him, that or not realized it herself. Should he take her to the hospital wing? No, that wouldn't be a good idea. The nurse would ask questions. Rumors would spread. It would look bad if Ginny Weasley was seen being carried, unconscious, to the hospital wing in the middle of the night by him. He didn't want any more rumors spreading about her.

Draco leaned down and grabbed the girl under her knees, lifting her up in his arms and carrying her to the other room. He lay her down in the bed carefully, suddenly realizing just how fragile she was. She was practically weightless in his arms, nothing but skin and bones, and everything about her just seemed so…breakable. He grimaced and pulled up a chair next to her bed, brushing her sweaty hair out of her face. He couldn't take her to Madame Promfrey, but what could he do? He could go get Snape…but the professor's quarters were down in the dungeons on the far side of the school. It would take Draco an hour to get there, wake him up, and bring him back to see Ginny. Draco didn't want to leave her alone for that long. No, he would take care of her himself.

Draco went to his closet, looking through it at the potion's he had. He had nothing for a fever or sickness, just a handful of different healing potions for broken bones and cuts. Draco sighed and glanced back at Ginny. His eyes widened in surprise. Her face was no longer peaceful and blank. It was squinted in agony, her breathing was rapid, her arms and legs twitched and occasionally she moaned. Draco sat back down by her side curiously, watching her. She must have been having a nightmare, and it seemed to escalate, because soon she was crying out and tossing from side to side. She said a manner of unintelligible things, but the word most often to leave her lips was "No". He grimaced, wondering what she must be dreaming.

But of course, he could find out, couldn't he? Would it be wrong, to peek into her mind while she dreamt? Was that considered an invasion of privacy? Most likely, but he was curious, and he wanted to know how best to soothe her from this nightmare. Draco pulled out his wand, murmuring "Legilimens" and putting his wand to her temple. He wasn't the best at Legilimency. He had been taught both it and Occlumency, the defense against someone trying to see into his mind, by his father. He couldn't cast the spell silently, like Lucius could do, and he often only saw what the person was immediately thinking, unlike Voldemort, who could search through someone's mind like a library, finding the specific thoughts he wanted. But it would allow him to see what she was dreaming.

Draco closed her eyes to better see her thoughts. He almost wished he hadn't.

Draco saw and experienced everything as Ginny did. He forgot himself, felt only what she felt, knew only what she knew. She was on the ground, it was wet, red. She lay on her stomach with her face pressed against the hard stone, but behind her knelt a man, his hands grabbing her, nails digging into her hips. She was crying, begging him to stop; she was beyond capable of fighting him off. He grabbed her hair roughly and snapped her head back, leaning over her back, his lips at her ears. The unknown man licked her face before whispering in her ear, his breath and cruel voice making her shudder, "Do you like how that feels, Ginny?"

She shook her head, her body wracked with sobs, and tried to turn her face away. He grabbed her chin, yanking it around, and shoved his tongue into her mouth. She felt sick, violated, disgusted. When he pulled away she stared up at his face, his malicious blue eyes, the mask that hid his features. It was not the true mask of a Death Eater, more demonic, more frightening, it's features contorted in hate, mockery, cruelty.

"Say you like it!" he commanded, pulling her hair again. She screamed in pain as he thrust into her. All she could feel was pain, sharp, stinging, throbbing, like the lash of the whip the other one hit her with. Every time he entered her he cut her with something sharp, so that she was covered in open wounds inside and out. He seemed to revel in the pain he caused her and in the sound of her screams.

Ginny stared up at the sky as each moment, each new stinging pain, blended into the next. Rain was falling from the sky, washing over her, and when the light hit it it shone crimson red. Like blood. It drenched her to the bone, covering her body in red, staining it, staining her skin, her soul.

She was stained, tainted red, and she would never be able to wash it out.

Draco's eyes shot open with a gasp and he lurched away from Ginny, his chair falling backwards. He stood, staring at her in horror as he breathed heavily, trying to process what he had seen. It had been just a moment, just a snapshot in time, of all that had happened to her that night, but still he found himself gagging, nearly throwing up, in disgust. The thought of what those men had done to her, of the agony they had put her through…even now, no longer trapped in her dreams, he could feel an aching phantom of that pain still in his body. He shuddered, bracing himself against the desk while he tried to calm his heaving stomach.

Ginny whimpered again and Draco forgot about himself. She was still stuck there, in that nightmare. He looked around, but didn't have anything to help her with. He had no dreamless sleeping draughts, nothing for her fever, nothing for an imaginary, nightmarish hurt. He could run to the hospital wing, to Snape, but both were so far away. Draco shook his head. No, he couldn't leave her and subject her to her torment for an hour or more while he tried to get her help. Draco picked his wand up off the floor where it had fallen. But he could…

"I'm sorry, Ginny. Please don't hate me for this." Draco sat down by her side again, laying a hand on her face. He closed his eyes before whispering, "Imperio."

"Ginny," Draco whispered, stroking her face. "I need you to stop having this dream now…" Would this work? Commanding her to do something that she essentially had no control over? He hoped so. "I need you to…to dream about something else. Something…peaceful." Her face immediately relaxed, her body stopped twitching, and her breathing returned to normal. He smiled. Draco considered commanding her to dream about him, but he didn't want to control her that much. What she deemed peaceful was her own business. He felt bad enough using an Unforgivable on her, even if it was for good. "And now I want you to sleep. Sleep and don't wake until you are fully rested."

He finished the spell and placed his wand on the desk, taking her hand as he watched her. Ginny's lips turned up in a smile she slept, and Draco found his own doing the same, though it was half-hearted. He could tell her to think of something else, but he couldn't stop himself from remembering what he had seen in her nightmare, what she had been through.

Finally, it dawned on him what he had to do. The only way he could help her, the only way he could heal her, was to find out who those men were that had hurt her and make sure justice was served. And only she would be able to give him enough hints for him to figure that out. He would have to get her to open up to him enough to tell him all that had happened that night, all they had said, everything she could remember about them.

He knew it would be awhile before they could get to that point. He also knew he wanted to see those men caught and put in Azkaban not just for her own good, but to satisfy his vengeance. He hated the Death Eaters that had hurt her, that had raped her and broken her and ruined her, and he wanted to make them pay. Draco's face was grim and full of anger as he watched her sleep.

Finally, after sitting there for an hour worrying over her, Draco could keep himself awake no longer. Thankfully, the next day was Saturday and he could go to Snape first thing in the morning and have the man come look at her, maybe take her to the hospital himself so she wasn't seen with Draco. They could make up some story to explain to Ginny's friends and brother. She would have to get help from Madame Promfrey then, who would notice how thin and malnourished she was and who would insist on giving her a dreamless sleeping draught. Ginny would hate it, she might even be humiliated, but it would be better than her suffering every night like this.

Draco turned the couch around and pulled it closer, so it was right by the bed, laying down. It was lumpy and uncomfortable, but he didn't want Ginny to wake up before him and find them sleeping in the same bed together. He didn't think she would take that very well. Draco blew out the candle and continued to gaze at Ginny's face in the moonlight, his hand holding hers. Just before he drifted off to sleep he heard her whisper his name, "Draco."


	10. Awake

A/N: Ahh, here is chapter 10, finally. Sorry I am just now getting it uploaded, late Monday night as opposed to Friday night like usual. My life is getting hectic and very busy, but I will continue to update weekly, rest assured dear readers! And now, read on.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

How can you see into my eyes  
Like open doors?  
Leading you down into my core,  
Where I've become so numb.

Without a soul,  
My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold,  
Until you find it there and lead it back  
Home.

(Wake me up)  
Wake me up inside.  
(I can't wake up)  
Wake me up inside.  
(Save me)  
Call my name and save me from the dark.  
(Wake me up)  
Bid my blood to run.  
(I can't wake up)  
Before I come undone.  
(Save me)  
Save me from the nothing I've become.

-Bring Me to Life by Evanescence

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

She was running, why did she always run? She knew every time, every time her nightmares would lead her to this same dead end, to this same horrible fate. And yet _every time _she ran, she followed the same path, she forgot it was a nightmare, for it was more, it was a memory, a memory she relived night after night. And the running was always slow, sluggish, it seemed her legs pumped and pumped and yet she moved nowhere, as if she were running through waist-deep water. She almost hit the wall before she realized there was a dead end before her. Ginny wheeled around, staring behind her as four shadowy figures filled the alley, blocking out the light, which glowed around their bodies like sickly green halos. Halos, on demons. How odd.

And every time she tried to scream. To scream for her life. But as they drew closer she found the harder she tried to yell for help, the smaller and meeker her voice became, until it was just a slight squeak. Why couldn't she make a noise? Why couldn't someone hear her, save her? They drew closer, they were just before her, they grabbed her, threw her to the ground, stripped her of her clothes, and still she could not utter a sound. And the worst part of all was knowing that, because of the silencing spell on the alley, even if she could scream, no one would hear her.

So she waited for the inevitable, for the memory, the very physical, very real dream, for it all to replay, differently each time, and yet the same. She shut her eyes but she could not block them out, could not forget, could not close her eyes against a memory. But it was different this time, truly different. The nightmare changed. The shadowy men disappeared. The alley melted away. Everything became peaceful and dark. She floated, she was airborne in space, in nothingness, alone, content. And a voice, she heard a voice somewhere in that emptiness, whispering to her. "I need you to…to dream about something else. Something…peaceful."

And why shouldn't she? Why resist? If only she could! If only she had any control. And what was pleasant, what was peaceful, anymore? Was anything sacred? It seemed everything she saw saddened her. What was there peaceful to dream about?

The sky. The sky was peaceful. The sky, covered in clouds, stormy. Grey. Overcast. The sun's rays shining behind the clouds, making them glow. Like his eyes, stormy, but glowing with an internal sunshine. Those were peaceful. Full of such confusing, tumultuous emotions that she didn't understand, but they brought her a strange sense of peace. And a face. A beautiful face, with pale skin, a long, pointed nose, everything about that face was pointed, the cheekbones, the chin. Blonde eyebrows over those stormy eyes, long lashes sweeping the high cheeks. Hair falling into that face like a curtain, reaching just to the jaw. The lips, thin, pink lips, pulled up in a smile, opening in a laugh, to reveal perfectly straight white teeth.

Pleasant. Peaceful. Perfect.

And the voice too! She heard it as vividly as if he were there with her, though she knew it was only a dream. She could make out the words, but they confused her. "What's wrong with her, Proff?"

"Nothing." What was this voice? It was coarse and raw and slithering and not at all like the soothing musical lilting of her favorite sound in the world. "Sheer exhaustion, lack of nourishment…perhaps insanity. Her mind already seems to have broken a long time ago, but her body held out much longer. Even it had to give in at some point."

What were they talking about? Why did they interrupt her sleep? Why did they make the face fade? No! Bring it back. Bring back that angelic face. That musical voice. She was no longer free-floating. She could feel the weight of the world come on her slowly. Heavily. It bogged her down. Light invaded her closed eyelids. Her ears picked up the background noises around her. Her mind became clearer but she almost wished it wouldn't. She was aware, even before she opened her eyes, of two bodies next to her, she knew one was Draco, but she wasn't sure of the other. Finally, she opened her eyes.

Ginny did not recognize the room she slept in, at least not from this angle. The ceiling was the same but the walls were a different color. The bed was lumpier and smelled like him. The light came in through the window at a different angle. She was interrupted in her confused observations by Draco's face appearing in her vision. He smiled at her, reaching a hand down to brush her hair out of her face. "Good morning, Ginny."

Ginny moaned and closed her eyes, trying to remember what had happened. Her last memory had been leaving the Prefect's bathroom after her shower but heading towards Draco's rooms instead of her Commons. He was teaching her something, something about explosions, and there were plates flying, and he was bare-chested, and she was so tired she could hardly concentrate.

"What happened?" She asked finally, when her memory turned up nothing.

"You collapsed while I was tutoring you. You gave me quite a fright. You had a fever and…" he paused. "And it was late at night, so I didn't think it would be wise to take you to the Hospital Wing myself. People would ask questions, after all."

She blinked at him, then glanced over at the man behind him, at the mussed black hair, the greasy stern face, the mass of black robes, as if he were in constant mourning over something. "What's Snape doing here?"

"I asked him to come check on you to make sure you were okay. I figured…well, I have a certain aversion to hospitals, and I didn't think you would appreciate waking up in one, after…after all."

She nodded. "Thank you. So, what's the matter with me?"

"Just as I was telling Draco. Merely exhaustion and malnourishment. You've been getting weaker and weaker for months until your body gave out and you became sick, hence the fever. I gave you some potions to fight off the illness, it appears to have been just a seasonal cold, about an hour ago. They should start working soon."

"Oh. Well, um…thank you, Professor."

"Yes, well, I must be going now, I have papers to grade. Draco, do you remember what we discussed?" Snape asked him, lifting an eyebrow. Ginny watched them in confusion. Draco nodded, seeing the professor out.

He returned with a smile and sat down on the bed beside Ginny. "How do you feel?"

She thought about it, tested her limbs, blinked her eyes, tried to find some trace of a headache or exhaustion or fever. There was none. She was still sleepy, her mind a bit sluggish and eyelids heavy, but she felt strangely…refreshed, which was uncommon for her. "Great. Oddly."

Draco grinned and leaned back. "Good! That means you'll have plenty of energy for what we have planned for today."

"Today?" she asked in confusion.

He nodded. "I have a surprise for you. But first," his voice became slightly more serious, "I need to give you these." Draco handed her a wooden box. She opened it in confusion and glanced inside. There were rows of potions, about twenty in all, that she recognized immediately. "Dreamless sleeping draughts?"

"You…well, last night…you had a nightmare."

She blinked in surprise, her cheeks suddenly flushing in shame. Had she said anything embarrassing? Screamed or tried to fight with her imaginary phantoms? "Oh…what umm…what did I do?"

"You were mumbling and twitching at first, and then you began thrashing around. It really worried me. Finally you…stopped. You slept the rest of the night peacefully."

"Oh…But…these…" she glanced down at the potions. "I can't, Draco, I can't afford these."

"It's a gift. It's not even a gift from me. Snape had plenty in his Potions supply cabinet."

"But…this won't even last very long. Just a month or so."

"Then in a month I'll get you more."

"Draco, I can't accept this."

"You can, and you will." He said it with his trademark smile, but in his tone was a hint of warning. "Unless you want me to go to the Hospital Wing and have Madame Promfey prescribe them to you. Then you can trek up there nightly before you got to sleep and have her administer the potions herself."

She stared at him in shock. He was serious, he would tow her up to the Hospital Wing and watch as Madame Promfey made her drink one every night before going to bed. She could easily picture it in her head. "Fine," she said finally, her voice a bit bitter.

"And since we're on the subject, you're going to start eating more from now on. You're so thin you're just skin and bones. If you get any thinner you'll have to go to the Hospital Wing and then she'll call your parents and they'll find out you haven't been eating anything lately."

"Draco!" Ginny stared at him in surprise and hurt. Her mouth opened and close in protest, but no sound came out. "Why…why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"_Blackmailing_ me."

"Ginny," he took her hands, his face grave. "You _collapsed_ out of _malnourishment_ and exhaustion. I can't just…just sit by and watch you get worse and worse and not do anything. So I'm making a deal with you. I won't go to Madame Promfey, I won't go to your brother or your friends or your family, but you have to promise to start taking better care of yourself. In fact, I have to see improvement in your health in the next two weeks or I will."

"You already went to Snape."

He shook his head. "Snape is my friend, and he won't tell a soul if I ask him not to. I needed him because I needed someone with at least some slight knowledge of medicine, medicine and potions often go hand in hand, to look at you and make sure you weren't going to die on me. But you don't have to worry about him spreading rumors around the school."

"This still isn't fair."

Draco smiled sadly at her. "I know you think so but…but it is for the better. And I'll help you. I'll have food in here in case you're hungry. Anytime you can't sleep, you can just take one of those potions. And…and my door's always opened, if the potion's don't work and you still have nightmares or if you just want some company. We're friends, remember? That's what friends do for each other."

She nodded, staring down at her hand, which he held in his own two, his thumbs absentmindedly stroking her palm. "Okay. Deal. I guess I don't really have much of a choice."

His face lit up again in that childish beam. In it she could see hints of the trademark Malfoy smirk of triumph. "Now," Draco said, pulling her up in sitting position by her hands, "go back to your Commons and get dressed. Dress warmly because we're going outside. I'll meet you by the Quidditch Pitch."

"The Quidditch Pitch? But what…Draco…but…" he had rushed her out the door before she could ask any more questions, closing the door on her. She blinked at it in surprise, frowning, then headed back to her Commons. By the time she got there the clock read eleven in the morning. There were some people milling about the Commons, and she noticed their stares and whispers as she walked passed them. Ginny pulled her cloak tighter around her body, hiding the fact that she was wearing the same clothes she had been yesterday, and ran up to her room, which was, thankfully, empty of her roommates. The girl went to her trunk at the foot of her bed, pulling out her Muggle jeans and warm knit sweater, wishing that every one she owned wasn't an eye-catching bright red. Ginny dressed quickly and ran a brush through her hair, pulling it back in a pony-tail, and was just slipping on her shoes when a knock came at the door. "Come in."

Hermione's bushy hair peeked into the room, followed by her inquisitive face. Noticing Ginny was alone and decent, she stepped fully into the room, closing the door behind her and sitting down on one of the beds. "Ginny…"

"Yeah, 'Mione?" Ginny asked, sitting down opposite the girl, who had an odd look on her face. She was ready to leave, she didn't want to keep Draco waiting, but Hermione's expression was so worried she couldn't bare to walk out the door without hearing what she had to say first. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I…I was just wondering where you were last night."

"Where I was?" Ginny's heart began to pump faster in her chest.

"You left late last night to go take a shower, but you never came back. You weren't here this morning. And when you came in just now you were wearing the same clothes you had on last night…"

Ginny's palms began to sweat. She rubbed them against her rough jeans. "Yeah." There was no point in denying it.

"Ginny…what…what happened? Are you alright?"

"What do you mean?"

"Last night…were you attacked?" The girl said it in a whisper.

Ginny was so surprised she burst out laughing, though that perhaps wasn't the most appropriate thing to do, judging by her friend's glare. She shut her mouth, shaking her head and trying to suppress giggles. "Is that what you were worried about?"

"Well, I mean, I didn't think…well, I didn't think that you were out having sex."

"Strike two, 'Mione."

"So…what happened?"

Ginny shrugged. "I got sick and passed out."

"You passed out? Are you okay? You don't look sick." The girl placed a hand worriedly to Ginny's head.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Ginny replied, batting it away. "My friend took care of me."

"Your friend? Who?"

Ginny realized she'd let slip something she perhaps could not take back. "Nobody. He's in a different House."

"_He_?" Damn, this girl was too observant. "Do you…have a boyfriend?" Hermione looked incredulous.

"Merlin no, 'Mione. He's just my friend."

"Who _is_ he? I have to know now. I don't feel comfortable with you hanging around strange men I don't know all night after…after what happened over the summer."

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Well, you don't have to feel comfortable with it at all. It's not any of your business."

"Ginny, please don't be mad at me. I just meant…I just don't want anyone taking advantage of you."

"Dra-" She froze, realizing she was about to say his name. "He wouldn't."

"No, you said Dray. Who is Dray?"

"Nobody." Ginny stood, grabbing her cloak and heading for the door.

"Dray, Dray, Drake…Draco…_Draco Malfoy_?"

Ginny froze with her hand on the handle. There definitely was no denying it now. The girl was way too damn smart for her own good. She'd figured it out. Ginny heaved a heavy sigh. "Yeah. Draco. But not Malfoy. He renounced his last name."

"I don't bloody care whether he renounced it or not, he's still a Mal-"

"Well I do bloody well care!" Ginny turned on her, eyes flaming. "He's not a Malfoy, Hermione! He isn't a Malfoy, he isn't a Death Eater, and he isn't his father!"

The girl was taken aback. "How do you know?"

"I saw his arm. There was no Dark Mark."

"None? Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Those can be covered up. He may be lying."

"He wasn't."

"Ginny, I don't know…"

"Well _I_ do, Hermione. He's a good guy. He's my friend. I'm not even sure exactly how it happened but…but I trust him. I trust him with my life, Hermione."

"And your virtue?"

That was going too far. "He isn't like that, Hermione. He doesn't want sex or to take advantage of me or whatever. We're friends. It's a _mutual friendship_. Nothing more, nothing less. What can I say to make you trust me?"

"It's not you I don't trust, Ginny," Hermione answered sadly.

"Then what can I say to make you trust him?"

Hermione's lips pursed as she thought. She went to the window, staring out it at the sky above. For a long time she was silent. Then she asked, finally, "Does he make you happy?"

Ginny's lips turned up in a smile. "Yes. Very. When I'm with him I…I can just forget everything. Everything that happened over the summer, y'know? I'm comfortable around him. And I'm happy. It's like this weight is lifted off my shoulders."

Hermione nodded, turning to her with a smile. It looked slightly forced, but only slightly. "Then I trust him."

"You do?!" Ginny laughed and grabbed her friend, pulling her into a hug. She stepped back. "Hermione, you can't, under any circumstances, tell my brother or anyone else about our friendship. Do you understand?"

Hermione frowned. "But if you two are such good friends then it should be alright if people know, right?"

Ginny shook her head. "Just trust me on this. It's better for me and him if everyone else is oblivious."

"You're asking me to keep a huge secret from my two best friends." She sighed. "All right. I won't. For now. Nut if I see the slightest indication that he's hurt you-"

"Oh, thanks, 'Mione! Thank you thank you thank you!" Ginny threw her arms around the girl once more, then grabbed up her cloak, heading towards the door.

"But where are you running off to? Are you going to him? Ginny, you were sick yesterday, shouldn't you rest and eat-"

Ginny was out the door and running down the stairs before she could finish her sentence. Everyone who saw the wide grin on her face stopped and stared in shock, wondering if it had been a figment of their imaginations.


	11. Freedom

A/N: Yay, chapter 11! Everybody say woot for sexual tension! :D

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

I haven't been quite the same,  
So sure the story of my life would never change.  
But in a bright-eyed way, she rinsed out the soap in my eyes,  
And wrote a song that I'm about to sing.

She's a magnetic girl  
That I hardly even know.  
So this is not another love song.  
Just a list of things that I should know,  
And everyone should know that:

1. You got to take it kind of slowly  
2. You got to hurry up and make your move  
3. You got to tell her how you're feeling  
And  
4. You got to be the perfect gentleman.

When you shake the walls, you got to make 'em bend, yeah.  
You got to show her that  
She's the balance beam  
And I keep falling all around her fairy tale.

-Fairy Tale by Blue October

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny stepped onto the Quidditch pitch, glancing around her. Draco stood in the center, leaning back on his broom and staring up at the murky, cloudy sky above. She came up behind him and he turned at the sound of her feet rustling in the grass, despite the fact that she had tried to be quiet. She wondered at his acute senses and awareness as he spoke. "Hey, what took so long? I've been out here for half an hour now."

"Sorry. I was stopped by Hermione."

He lifted a blonde eyebrow. "And?"

"And…she knows."

"Knows?" He leaned back on his heels. "She knows a lot of things. What, specifically, does she know?"

"She knows that I was sick last night and that I spent the night in your room. She knows that we're friends. She doesn't understand it, but now she knows."

He glanced over her shoulder behind her, then around the pitch. "And why do I not have spells flying at me from every direction? Or red heads, in the least?"

Ginny giggled. "She didn't tell Ron. She promised she wouldn't."

He seemed surprised. "Why not?"

"Because I asked her not to, so she promised."

"That easy?"

"No. I had to explain some things to her."

"Such as?"

"Such as why I spend so much time with you. Why I trust you and consider you a friend."

"And why is that?" He asked, leaning close, his lips quirked up. The way his eyes sparkled made her heart jump in her chest, though she wasn't quite sure she understood it.

"Because…well, because…because you make me happy. Isn't that reason enough?"

"I suppose. You're going to be really happy after today." He smile, and the only way to describe the look on his face was mischievous.

"What _are_ we doing, Draco?" Ginny asked, her eyes narrowing as she glanced at his broom.

"Well, we're on the Quidditch pitch. There's a broom here. I thought it was pretty obvious."

Ginny sighed. "I don't know, Draco. I haven't flown in months. I'm tired. I was sick and dizzy yesterday. It's probably not a good idea."

"One, I know you haven't flown in months, all the more reason for you to now. Two, I know for a fact that you are not tired because you had at least twelve hours of sleep last night. And three, you shouldn't still be sick and dizzy because Snape gave you a potion for that. Are you?"

"Well, no. I do feel better since yesterday…" It was true. Last night she had felt giddy and queasy and feverish. At first she had thought it was because Draco was so near to her, and he wasn't wearing a shirt, and he was touching her. But that had gotten her worried that…well, that she might have some sort of strange attraction to him, which just wasn't possible. She had actually been happy to learn she had a cold. It explained away everything strange she'd been feeling the night before.

"Then why can't you fly today?"

She sighed. "I just…I just can't, Draco. I haven't since…"

"Since what happened this summer." He didn't need to guess. It was her explanation for everything. But it didn't seem to be enough today. "But why not? What's stopping you? You're a wonderful Seeker and a Chaser. I saw you playing last year. You were magnificent. And you always seemed to enjoy it. Am I wrong?"

She shook her head. "No. I do enjoy it. It's…well, it's freedom." She sighed, staring at the sky. "I just haven't had the willpower to fly in so long."

"Do you want to know what I think, Ginny?"

"What?" She asked, not sure she did want to know.

"I think you're afraid. I think you're afraid that you might actually enjoy yourself. That you might feel free again. I think it scares you."

She stared at him in shock, her eyes wide, her mouth opened in surprise. He had leaned in so close now, the broom he leaned on the only thing in between their bodies, that she was forced to bend back away from him. She was, quite literally, taken aback by the statement, by just how true it was. How did he do that? How did he always manage to see into her soul so easily? And it was true, wasn't it? There was really no point in denying it.

Of course, she tried to anyway. "No…I…I've just been really busy…and exhausted…and-"

He nodded, smiling indulgently. "Of course. Well, you're not busy or exhausted today. So there's no reason why you can't fly with me."

"But-"

"Unless you're too scared." He grinned at her.

"Scared? What would I be afraid of?"

He shrugged arrogantly. "Just that I would blow you out of the water. I mean, it's not that you're not good, but I am the best flyer in the whole school, not just the best seeker."

"And what makes you think so?"

He shrugged. "No one can keep up with me. I'll bet even if you flew on my Nimbus 2001 and I flew on Snape's rickety old Comet 290 I would beat you in a race."

She guffawed. "You? Beat me? On that?" She pointed to the dingy old broom she just now noticed lying in the grass. It looked like it hadn't been used in years. It was a wonder Snape owned a broomstick at all; though, Harry had once commented that every wizard should own a broom just like every Muggle should own a car, whether they could fly well or not. She knew enough about Muggles to know how important their cars were for them, so the statement was understandable. Of course, she'd always been too poor to own a nice broom. Her parents had five in the broom shed at home, four Comets and one Shooting Star, all of which flew horribly. She knew how slow they were from experience.

"You're on, Draco."

"Oh? I wasn't sure I'd actually be able to get you to agree to ride my broom." He smirked as he mounted the Comet 290.

She stared after him in surprise, her mouth agape as she tried to wrap her mind around what he'd just said. "Wait! Did you just…?!" She wasn't sure whether or not to be offended at the innuendo, if it was even meant as one.

Ginny growled and mounted the broom, kicking off into the air. She reached him quickly where he levitated by the goalposts. Before she could open her mouth to yell at him, he was setting the parameters. "From here to the goalposts on the other side. You have to touch the center goalpost first to win. Anything goes."

"Anything?" Ginny asked. "I'll have you know, Ferret, us Weasels don't fight fair."

Draco grinned at her. "I'm counting on it. Ready? Weaselette?" He pulled out his wand, saying an incantation she didn't know and drawing a number 10 in the air. It began ticking down with every second.

"You're going down, Draco."

He lifted an eyebrow, smirking. "Is that a request?"

She blinked in surprise as the 1 changed to a 0 and the sound of a buzzer went off. Ginny stared after him, still shocked, for a few seconds before she realized he was quickly getting further and further away. Glaring in anger, Ginny leaned forward, and was surprised when the broom suddenly jolted at the slightest movement, speeding up so rapidly she had caught up with him in seconds. They were shoulder to shoulder, neck to neck, and she had to admit, he was one damn good flyer to keep up with her on that horrible Comet 290. She had never ridden anything better, and definitely nothing as expensive, sleek, and beautiful as a Nimbus 2001, which was only rivaled by the Firebolt, so she was surprised by how smoothly his broom ran, almost as if it had become a part of her and shifted with every slight movement of her body. Still, Ginny hadn't flown in months, she had gotten rusty, and Draco was such a great flyer and seeker he could keep up with her despite the quality of his borrowed broom. It made for a tight match. As one began to get just ahead, the other would speed up. Sometimes they cheated, pushing each other or grabbing the other's broom, but they were both more preoccupied with just getting to the goalpost faster. However, the closer they drew the dirtier their flying and their fighting got.

She was almost there. It was just within reach. Ginny pushed with all her might, sweat droplets forming on her head and trickling down her back, her arm reaching out. She glared at Draco, gave him an elbow to the gut, and just brushed the goalpost with her hand first. She bulleted past it, twirling in the air to look back at him with a triumphant smirk on her face. He pulled to a stop, panting, and lifted a hand, trying to catch his breath. "Alright, you win."

Ginny grinned as she continued to fly backwards, her momentum slowing gradually. His eyes widened in surprise as he watched her. "Ginny! Ginny, there's a wall there!"

Her head whipped to the side in time to see the wall of the pitch quickly rising up to meet her. Ginny squealed and lifted the nose of the broom, trying to skid it to a stop in mid air, but she wasn't fast enough. She collided with the wall, the crash jostling her and throwing her from the broom, and though she tried to reach out and grab the handle her hand missed. She fell rapidly, a scream leaving her lips, the ground growing larger, the grass more detailed, her eyes slipped shut as she braced herself for the impact.

There was an impact, but not to the extent she had expected. She stopped suddenly, her body reverberating with the sudden change in speed and direction, but her head was padded by something softer than ground. She blinked an eye open in surprise, staring up at Draco's face, then at his arms, which were wrapped around her. "You alright?"

Ginny nodded mutely, not yet able to find her voice as Draco lowered to the ground, landing them gently on the grass. He set her on her feet. "You sure you're okay? That was a loud scream. You've got quite a set of lungs on you."

"Well, I mean, other than being scared out of my wits, yeah, I'm fine. Nothing like a near death experience to get your blood pumping." Ginny tried to laugh it off, but it sounded a bit strained, even to her ears.

He sighed, running his hands through his hair, and picked up his Nimbus 2001 off the ground. "Maybe we should call it a day."

"No!" He blinked in surprise at her protest. "I was just getting warmed up."

"Well, if you're sure…"

Ginny nodded, a smile on her lips. "I don't think I've had this much fun in months, crash or not."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

They flew for hours. Sometimes they raced, sometimes they chased each other, sometimes they just made slow, lazy laps, talking and laughing. Hours of bliss. It was, indeed, the most fun Draco had ever had in his life.

And it was perhaps the happiest he'd ever seen Ginny. Her whole face lit up when she was in the air. Freedom. And it certainly was freedom for her. The cool fall wind whipped her red hair out of its ponytail and around her face. It made her cheeks pink with color, which was a nice change from how deathly pale and gaunt she usually looked. Her eyes almost glowed with light, and they were a bright hazel rather than the murky, almost black color he was so used to seeing. When her lips pulled up into a smile, he felt his own mirroring them.

It was infectious, her happiness. Every emotion she had was infectious. She never did any emotion halfway. If she was sad, she was depressed. If she was excited, she was ecstatic. If she was bored she was apathetic. And if she was happy…she was…she was…there didn't seem a word strong enough to explain it.

He kept replaying the events of the day over and over in his head, recalling a specific one vividly. They'd been racing, playing a childish game of tag. He was "it" this time, which he didn't mind; any excuse to chase Ginny Weasley, to stare at her fiery mane flying behind her, her robes whipping in the wind, her butt when she shifted on the broom…well, it wasn't a bad view, to say the least. He'd almost caught up with her, she was just out of reach, and he observed that they were only flying a meter or so off the ground, and they weren't going very fast, so if they fell the impact wouldn't be especially painful. He grinned, putting one foot up on his broom, and in a swift, silent movement he sprung from it, soaring through the air and grabbing Ginny in his arms, pulling her off of her own broom and to the ground with him.

They had rolled for a few seconds before coming to a stop, panting, Ginny with a surprised expression on her face. He found himself gaping at her beauty as it suddenly overwhelmed him. She'd thrown off her cloak a long time ago and now only wore a bright red knit sweater with a G on it that was too tight, hugging around her curves. Her arms were thrown haphazardly above her head, causing her shirt to lift every so slightly, revealing a strip of skin across her stomach. Her hair was messy and windswept, her cheeks flushed, her chest rising and falling as she panted. They had landed perfectly, with her sprawled out on the ground on her back and Draco, in his avoidance to crush her, on his side beside her, propped up on one leg and arm, the other leg between her two. His free arm lay across her flat stomach and he was reluctant to move it away. Was it wrong, the first thought that popped into his head, followed by many consecutive thoughts all with the same basic theme? Perhaps, but Draco had never been taught to inhibit his inappropriate thoughts, so once they got started, they were hard to get rid of.

Of course, as soon as Ginny realized the proximity of their bodies she pushed him away, jumping to her feet and brushing the grass and dirt off of herself. Draco was glad she couldn't read his thoughts then, or now, for that matter, because she probably would have been quite offended and indignant.

Well, at least he had good motives. Draco had now accomplished another one of the tasks on his mental list, a sort of to-do checklist for Ginny Weasley. He wasn't sure when it had started, but he seemed to be adding more to it every day. So far it looked like this in his head:

Get Ginny Weasley To:

Smile  
Laugh until she cried  
Trust him (whatever it took)  
Be his friend  
Learn self-defense (magical and physical)  
Pass her classes  
Fly again

He didn't even dare think of the final item on the list, which was invisible only because of the impossibility of it. He knew what it was he wished for her in his mind, knew it was greedy and self-centered, knew he was fooling himself to even consider it, and so he never officially wrote it on the list. It was, of course, to get Ginny Weasley to fall in love with him.

As if that could ever happen.

Draco yawned tiredly as he pushed the door to the prefects' bathroom open, stepping inside. His senses were immediately met with the sound of running water and the smell and heavy feel of steam. Draco glanced at the huge pool-sized bathtub in the center of the room, but it was empty, then at the open door just beyond, where he heard the sound of humming. He stepped towards it, opening the door to the shower room. Inside, the third stall was occupied, and, judging from the dirty, grass-stained clothes on the bench beside a large nightshirt and some baggy sweatpants, it was Ginny inside. He smiled to himself, again glad that she couldn't hear his wicked thoughts as he began to whistle.

The sound got her attention. Ginny gasped, startled, and stopped humming immediately. "Who's there?" she hissed, and he could hear the panic in her voice.

"Ginny? It's just me, Draco."

"Draco?" She sounded stunned and skeptical. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, what does one usually do in the bathroom, Ginny? I'm here to take a shower. You're not the only one who got all muddy and sweaty flying today."

"But…but you're going to shower in _here_?"

He nodded, then remembered she couldn't see him. "Yep. It _is _a coed bathroom, Ginny."

"I know, but…but there are other shower rooms. Can't you go use them?"

"But I'm in here now." He pulled his shirt off over his head, dropping it on the bench beside her clothes.

"What…what are you doing?" She was quiet, she wasn't even breathing, as if she were straining her ears to hear. "Are you taking your clothes off?"

"Well, most people don't shower with them on, Ginny."

"But…but…" He almost laughed at how scandalized she sounded.

"But?" He finished undressing, almost considered leaving his boxers in plain sight, but decided it would be better not to give the poor girl a heart attack. Draco hid them at the bottom of the pile and stepped into the stall next to her, turning on the water.

"Wait…are you right next to me?"

"Sure am. Why?"

"Well couldn't you just…move over a few?"

"Why? There's a wall between us, Ginny. It's not like you can see me."

"But…but you're just…you're just two meters from me at the most."

Two meters? He looked at the small size of the stall. What was she pressed up against the far wall or something? The image was almost comical, that was, until the thought of her naked in the shower suddenly took over. He sighed, trying to ignore it, though he had to admit, it was pretty hilarious how much she was freaking out over them showering in the same room together.

It was quiet for a few minutes as he heard the water splashing next to him. His mind immediately filled in the missing images with the sounds, wondering what she was doing. Was she washing that fiery red hair? Her pale skin? How did the water look, running over her body, from the top of her head, down her cheek, over the curves of her breasts, her flat stomach, her long legs…Draco gulped, realizing he was, perhaps, going a bit too far with that thought.

"So um…" He cleared his throat. "What did you eat for dinner?"

"What?" Ginny sounded confused.

"For dinner. What did you eat? You did eat, right?"

"Yes. I had…wait, what are you doing?"

"Um…talking?"

"We're in the shower. That's just…that's just weird. Don't talk to me while I'm in the shower."

"Why not?"

"Because…because you're naked!"

He chuckled. "Does that inhibit my speech, Ginny?"

"No. It's just…strange."

He heard the water turn off and cursed to himself. Damn, he'd driven her away. Perhaps it was a bit too much, showering in the same room as her, but he couldn't stop his naughty side from having its fun, even at the expense of her comfort. Draco listened to the rustle of cloth as she dried herself off and dressed, and when he deemed she was just about to leave he turned the water off to his own shower. "Let me walk you back to your commons room."

"Why?"

"Because I always walk you back. You know I don't trust anyone in this school enough to let you wander alone by yourself at night."

"But usually I'm at your rooms, which are twice as far. I walk to the Prefects' bathroom and back by myself all the time."

"Well, let me walk you back this time. It's late."

She sighed. "Fine. I'll be waiting outside, though."

He heard the door to the shower room shut and grinned to himself, quickly drying off and dressing in the clean clothes he'd brought, throwing his dirty ones into his laundry bag. He began buttoning up the shirt he'd brought, then thought twice. Why not? Leaving it unbuttoned, Draco stepped out of the steam and into the main room, eyes searching for Ginny. She sat on a bench off to the side, and she glanced up when he came in, her eyes immediately going to his chest. Just as quickly as they landed on the bare skin they looked away, opting to stare instead at the large stained glass window portraying a nude mermaid on a rock.

"What is with his aversion to covering his chest?" he heard her mutter under her breath.

"What was that?"

She smiled at him and stood. "Nothing. Ready to go?" He watched as she pulled a brush through her hair, wincing as it got caught in tangled mass of red that couldn't seem to decide whether it wanted to be curly or straight.

"They have mirrors for that, you know."

"I'm fine."

"Here." Draco pulled a small mirror out of his bag, holding it out in front of her.

He was surprised by her reaction. She gasped, averting her eyes, her head lowering as if trying to duck out of the reflection. Ginny's voice was an angry growl as she repeated slowly, "I said I was fine."

Draco held out the mirror for a few seconds more before putting it away, still staring at her in shock. Was she avoiding her reflection? Why? She had acted almost as if the sight of it was painful to her. He tried to think of any other times he'd seen her in front of a mirror or reflective piece of glass, but none came to mind. How long had this been going on?

"Right. Sorry. Here, let me help you." Draco knelt down by Ginny, taking the brush out of her hands and turning her on the bench so he could reach the back of her hair. He began to run the brush gently through her hair, working out the tangles carefully so as not to make her wince. It was perhaps the longest amount of time that she had ever allowed him to touch her.

As he brushed her red mane, the smell of her strawberry shampoo invading his nostrils, he added another task to his list.

Get Ginny Weasley To:

Look at her reflection in the mirror


	12. Perception

A/N: Well, here is chapter 12. Hopefully I captured the emotions I was going for. Review and let me know what you think!

I just love the song. It goes so well with this chapter.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Take a look at my body,  
look at my hands  
there's so much here that I don't understand  
Your face saving promises,  
whispered like prayers  
I don't need them.

I've been treated so wrong,  
I've been treated so long as if I'm becoming untouchable  
I'm a slow dying flower  
I'm the frost killing hour  
sweet turning sour  
& untouchable.

I need the darkness,  
the sweetness,  
the sadness,  
the weakness,  
ooh I need this.  
I need a lullaby  
a kiss goodnight,  
angel, sweet love of my life  
ooh I need this  
Well, is it dark enough,  
can you see me?  
do you want me?  
can you reach me?  
or I'm leaving...  
you better shut your mouth  
and hold your breath  
you kiss me now,  
you catch your death  
oh I mean this...  
oh I mean this...

-My Skin by Natalie Merchant

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Severus!" Snape looked up as Draco came practically running into his office. He lifted an eyebrow at the boy, who immediately sat down in the chair before his desk, then stood, then began to pace, then sat down again, all in an excited frenzy. The professor leaned back in his chair, waiting for his student, who stood again and went to the window, to begin talking. He wheeled suddenly, eyes shining. "Severus, I think I might be on to something."

"I'm assuming we're talking about the Weasley girl?"

Draco nodded, stepping over to his desk and leaning his hands on it. "She doesn't like looking in mirrors."

"I don't understand."

"I don't either. All I know is she doesn't. She refuses to look at her reflection. And I want to figure out why. I think…I have guesses."

"Well, by all means, share them if you're going to."

"I think…I can guess...obviously it has to do with what happened to her."

"Obviously."

He sighed. "I think she's too ashamed, you know? She's avoiding seeing herself because she doesn't want to see the scars on her body and be reminded of what those men did to her."

"That sounds reasonable. Now, why are you telling me all of this?"

Draco began pacing again, his hands clasped behind his back. Snape knew this was his student's way of mulling troubling thoughts over, and so he did not interrupt the boy. "I need her to look in a mirror, to see her reflection, to admit her beauty. I think it will help me to heal her. I think she's ready for this, Severus. I think she's ready to begin facing what happened to her over the summer, and I think this is the first step in her doing so."

"That is a lot to ask of her, Draco. How can you be sure she won't pull away from you? Then everything you have done up until now will be in vain."

"I can't. But I won't know unless I try."

"There is much on the line, Draco. Her emotions, her heart, her sanity, even. You have to be wary of pushing her so far that she breaks."

"I know. I know! But…" He inhaled deeply. "But I really think this is what she has to do before she can move on. Before she can open up to me about what happened to her and begin to heal. She needs this."

"And are you certain of that, Draco?"

"Yes. I believe it with all my heart."

Snape nodded slowly, staring at his folded hands. "Still…I'm cautious of such a sudden change. It may shock her to see herself now."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, sinking slowly down in the chair, his excitement beginning to deflate.

"I mean the sunken cheeks, the shadows under her eyes, the gaunt frame, the dead, so to speak, look in her eyes, not to mention that insane haircut."

Draco sank back in his chair, staring at his professor in confusion. "But all those things…they just make her more beautiful."

"To you, yes." Snape raised a hand at the angry twitch in Draco's face. "I'm just saying, everyone sees things through different eyes. Beauty in the eyes of the beholder and all that rot. When she looks in the mirror, she will see an image much different than what you see. She will judge herself much more harshly. Whereas you see only her beauty, she will see only the ugliness. Perhaps why she has refused for so long to so much as glance at her reflection."

Draco stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Then…how do I make her see what I see?"

There was a slight twitch in Snape's lips, as if they wanted to rise into a smile but didn't quite know how. "Have you ever heard of the Mirror of Erised, Draco?" He shook his head. "It is a mirror that, when gazed upon, shows you what you most want in the world."

"How will that help me?"

"It won't. Let me get to the point I was trying to make. The Mirror of Erised was brought to Hogwarts by Dumbledore for storage here. It is just one of Hogwarts' many secrets. But with it was brought a less well-known mirror, appropriately named the Mirror of Perception, which is it's companion."

"And…how does it work?"

"How do you think? It shows you not what you most desire, like the Mirror of Erised, nor does it show you your true reflection. Rather, it shows you how somebody else sees you. Thus, it only casts a reflection when two people stand side by side and look into it."

Draco mulled this over, a triumphant grin slowly growing on his face. "That would be perfect. That would be exactly what she needs! Where can I find it?"

Snape sighed. "That would be the problem. I never actually saw it myself, only heard of it from Dumbledore when Erised arrived. Nobody's mentioned it since."

"Then, who would know where it is?"

"Dumbledore would, of course."

"And he's dead." Draco frowned.

"Dead, yes, but his memory is not gone."

"What do you mean?"

"You could always ask his portrait."

"It's in the Headmistress's office."

"Draco, he's not confined to his borders. Ask one of the other portraits to request him to meet with you somewhere convenient and discuss it. Perhaps his painting will know."

Draco nodded, standing, and pulled Snape into a hug. "Thank you Severus! You're a genius!"

Snape sat stiff and uncomfortable, but waited until his student had released him. He straightened his cloak huffily. "Yes, yes, I have papers to grade. Get along now."

Draco just grinned at him and ran from the room in excitement.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"What is this all about, Draco?" Ginny whispered as the boy pulled her through the hallways.

He grinned back at her, keeping his voice low as well. It was late at night, as usual, and they had been lucky enough so far to not get caught by any Prefects on patrol or Filch. "It's a surprise."

"Obviously. Or else you would stop being so devious right now and tell me."

He shrugged. "Telling you would ruin the surprise."  
"Why do I get the feeling I won't like this?"

He paused, glancing at her. "You never like surprises, Ginny."

She nodded. "True. I don't like not knowing what's going on."

"Well, I guess this just sucks for you, doesn't it?" He said with a grin, pulling her along by her hand. She had to practically run to keep up with his quick pace. "We're here."

"Where?" Ginny lifted an eyebrow. It was another quiet, unrecognizable hallway, but considering the size of the school, it didn't surprise her. She did wonder, however, what could be so important that he would pull her through seemingly random hallways for almost fifteen minutes to take her here, to a door that looked wholly unspectacular and that housed who knew what surprise.

Draco didn't open the door. Instead, he turned to her, his eyes suddenly serious. It was strange to see that expression set there, on a face that usually housed only laughter and mirth. She had grown so comfortable and used to his lighthearted smile and his mischievous smirk that to see him serious, his eyes filled with emotion she didn't understand or want to comprehend, she suddenly became apprehensive and fearful.

Ginny tugged her hand away from Draco's, pulling it against her chest in a defensive position. "Draco…what's going on?"

"I…" He sighed, running his hand through his blonde hair. It fell messily into his grey eyes. "I planned everything up until this moment." He giggled, as if nervous. "But now I'm not sure how to proceed."

"I don't understand."

He shook his head. "I…I can't just thrust you in there and hope for the best. That wouldn't be right. That wouldn't work. I should prepare you somehow, but I kept you in the dark up until now because I was afraid you'd run away."

"Run away from what? Draco, what is going on?!"

He took her hands in his. "I want to show you something."

"You said that already."

He nodded, biting his lip. "Close your eyes."

"What?"

"Close your eyes. Just do it."

"Why?" She gave him a wary, skeptical look.

When the boy repeated his request, she realized she wouldn't get an answer. With a tired sigh she closed her eyes and shrugged. "Now what?"

"Now follow me." He led her forward, guiding her by the arm, into the room, or so she assumed. Ginny stumbled behind him, but Draco held her up to keep her from falling. Then, he planted her firmly where she stood and walked behind her, his chest at her back, his hand still holding her arm, as if afraid she would fall. Or run away. "Alright…" He inhaled shakily. "Open your eyes."

Ginny did. At first all she saw was the frame, gilded and golden, reaching as tall as the ceiling. Around the top were etched letters in another language, Latin, perhaps? She was reminded of the Mirror of Erised, which she had never seen for herself but only heard of when eavesdropping on Hermione and Ron and Harry. But this wasn't how she had pictured it at all. The few candles that lit the room illuminated the reflection inside. It was her and Draco, that was all. Wasn't the Mirror of Erised supposed to show what you most wanted in the world?

"What is this?" she whispered, turning her face away. "What are you doing, Draco?"

"This is a mirror. The Mirror of Perception, to be exact." He held her tightly in his arms, even as she struggled uselessly to get away from him.

"What?" She paused, curious.

"It is a companion to the Mirror of Erised. It shows you how the other person looking into it sees you."

She shook her head, then tried to push him away again. "Why are you doing this? I don't want to look."

He stared at her. "Why not? I still don't understand it."

"Understand what?"

"Why don't you like to look at your reflection? If you're not careful, people might think you're a vampire," he joked.

She didn't think it was very funny. "Draco, just stop. I don't want to talk about this-"

"You don't have a choice. I'm not letting you go until you explain it to me."

"Draco, please-"

He grabbed her chin roughly, surprising her, and forced her face up so that she had to look him in the eyes. They were churning, those grey eyes, like a storm building beneath the surface. "Tell me. Please. I want to know."

"I just…I just can't!"

"Why not?"

Ginny shook her head, inhaling shakily and trying to force back the tears that were rising. "I just can't look at myself."

"Why not?" He repeated.

"I can't…I'm just…so disgusted." She shut her eyes and buried her face in Draco's chest, shaking her head. Her body began to shake with sobs, but she refused to let him see the tears in her eyes.

"Ginny…I know…what those men did to you was horrible. But Ginny, you can't avoid everything just because it reminds you of them. You avoided eating and sleeping and looking at your reflection and who knows what else. Ginny, you can't avoid living. Not because of them. You can't allow them to control you like that."

She was sobbing openly now, staining his shirt with tears, drenching it. "I don't want to live."

His hands were running over her back soothingly. "I know. But you have to. Because I'm not letting you give up. You have to live, and you have to do this. For me. For yourself."

Even as she shook her head in protest Draco turned her around, facing her toward the mirror. He supported her with one hand and wiped away her tears with the other. "Ginny, open your eyes."

She was too weak to fight him. She did as she was told, gasping as her eyes again fell on the reflection. This time, she didn't look away, but forced her gaze to stay on her image.

Ginny was surprised by what she saw. It was her, all of her, and it was how she had imagined she'd look by now. All of her scars, at least, those visible that weren't covered by her clothes (she would have to take extra care to cover the ones up on her neck and arms next time) were there. Her eyes were cast in dark shadows. Her body look malnourished and bony, especially her cheeks. Her hair was short and choppy and fell limply into her face. And yet…yet there was a strange sort of beauty to it all. She was all there, but she was different. Her scars were not the scars of somebody who had been violated. They were battle-wounds, a symbol of her strength. Her shadowy eyes were dark and mysterious and oddly alluring. Her bony, gaunt frame looked soft and breakable and gentle. Her gaunt cheeks just accentuated her full, soft lips, and it was strange, but she could almost describe them as kissable.

"This…this isn't me."

"But it is. This is how I see you, Ginny."

Ginny shook her head, sinking to her knees, as the tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Even those seemed to shine in the mirror like diamonds. "I'm not…I'm not that pretty…"

Draco took her face again in his hand, gently turning it away from her reflection. She was surprised by the emotion burning in his eyes. "You are the most beautiful woman in the world." Ginny shook her head again, opening her mouth to protest. Her heart suddenly jumped in her chest. Why was he moving closer? Why was he looking so intently at her? Why were his lips so close to her own?

Her eyes flew open and she pushed him away with all her might. She was surprised when he fell away from her, sprawling onto the floor unceremoniously. He watched her in surprise as she scrambled to her feet, wrapping her arms tightly, protectively around her body. "No! No! This isn't me! You…don't touch me!"

"Ginny…I'm sorry…I didn't mean-"

She didn't hear the rest of what he had to say. Ginny turned no her heels and fled the room.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco stared at the empty space where Ginny had stood just seconds before. His hand was still extended to stop her, but she was gone, just escaping his reach. He contemplated chasing her down, but decided against it.

Had he pushed her too far? Stretched her until she broke? He had thought he was helping. When he saw her crying, saw her raw soul and emotions spilled out before him, he had really thought he had broken through the ice, reached into her heart and mind for the first time. He had thought she was opening up to him finally.

And he had been ecstatic when she had looked in the mirror. Not just because she had actually forced herself to, despite how uncomfortable it made her, but because of what he'd seen in the mirror. Himself. Himself in Ginny's eyes.

He had expected a completely different reflection. Someone foreign and strange. A loser, perhaps? Maybe even a monster? He wasn't a Death Eater, and he had proven that to her, but who was to say that would change her perspective on him, after the prejudice she had been taught for so many years? And so he was pleasantly surprised by what he saw there.

Himself. And yet, different. Familiar. Friendly. A smiling face, mischievous eyes. He seemed to glow in the mirror, a light in the darkness, a friend to confide in. He looked uncharacteristically handsome and kind, not at all like the brooding, perverse boy he saw when he looked at himself alone. All in all, he looked like a saint, and that was the strangest thing of all.

Did she really picture him so perfect? So regal and glowing and bright and innocent? Did she honestly think he was as handsome as she made him out to be? Had he fooled her into believing so?

And with this newest revelation, the wheels began to turn. Did she feel for him the same way he felt for her? Not just physically, yes, he was physically attracted to her, no doubt of it, but emotionally as well? Did she perhaps love him the same way he did, or, in the least, like him? She certainly must have had some sort of attachment to him. And so he had made assumptions. He had let his emotions run away with him. She was there, he was there, their emotions, their thoughts, their very souls were laid bare. Why not? What harm could it do? Or had he even thought of that at the moment, thought of anything, as his eyes fell on her lips, so close to his own? He found he was moving without thinking, though not against his will, his lips lowering to hers, desperate to taste her, to hold her, to feel that connection, that current running through them, burning him wherever she touched.

He had been so preoccupied he had let his hold on her slip, and she had pushed him away, catching him off guard. And it hurt. He was shocked by just how much it hurt. The look that she gave him, contemptuous, but not hateful, too broken to be angry, hurt and ashamed. And damnit, he knew what she was thinking now when she looked at him. Knew he had shattered everything in a single moment, a single action. She must think he was just like them, just like those men that raped her, no, worse, trying to take advantage of her through friendship, trying to overpower her emotionally instead of physically. He didn't need to look in a mirror to see what she thought of him now.

And then she was gone in a blink of an eye, moving too fast for him to explain, to calm her, to try to fix this. And now it was too late. Draco groaned, burying his head between his knees in defeat. How could he ever get her to trust him and open up to him now? If he just hadn't let his damn hormones, and even worse, his emotions take over! He cursed himself for his foolishness. "One step forward, two steps back."


	13. Love

A/N: Well, here is chapter 13! Sorry about not updating last weekend, I was out of town visiting Lindenwood University, where I'm going to college next year. Yay! Until next weekend, read and review and enjoy!

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Desperate for changing  
Starving for truth  
I'm closer to where I started  
Chasing after you...

I'm falling even more in love with you  
Letting go of all I've held onto  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you  
I'm living for the only thing I know  
I'm running and not quite sure where to go  
And I don't know what I'm diving into  
Just hanging by a moment here with you

-Hanging by a Moment by Lifehouse

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"Malfoy! Draco Malfoy!"

Draco froze at the sound of his name, recognizing the voice. Granger, damnit. He wasn't in a good mood, in fact, his mood could only be described as positively shitty. He didn't need her nagging and bothering him right now.

But he turned anyway, glaring at the girl, only because she was Ginny's friend. Ginny…she hadn't talked to him in a week. Hadn't come to see him, had avoided him in the halls, had been careful not to cross paths with him in the prefect's bathroom. It was driving him insane trying to figure out just where he'd gone wrong. The kiss, the mirror, what? He was so restless without her around, without seeing her face and hearing her voice every night. But none of that was as horrible as his worry for her. Had he pushed her until she'd snapped? Was she crying in her room this very moment? Staring blankly into space? Retreating into herself again?

Draco knew the only way he could get those answers was through Granger. Ginny was avoiding him like the plague. So, annoyed as he was, he forced himself to ask, "What do you want?"

The girl stopped, staring at him with pursed lips. Sometimes her lips became so pursed he was afraid she was going to suck them into her mouth and they'd never be seen again. Not that he particularly minded. "I came here to talk to you."

"Obviously." He glanced around at the few people on the hall. "I've got a reputation to uphold, Granger. It wouldn't look good for me to be seen talking to you. Follow me."

Of course, he didn't have a reputation at all. In fact, any semblance of a reputation he'd once had had been shattered when he'd run away from home. But he was a danger to anyone who bothered to make friends with him, much less talk to him, and while he didn't particularly like Granger or any of the damned Golden Trio, he didn't want a passing Death Eater to overhear their discussion about Ginny.

Draco walked at a clipped pace, not bothering to see if the girl was following him, and stepped into an abandoned classroom. He closed the door behind Granger with a flick of his wand, then leaned against a desk, arms crossed, waiting. "Well?"

She stood there uncomfortably for a moment, shifting from foot to foot. "Ginny…" she didn't seem to know where to begin. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, then opened them again, face set. "What did you do to her, Malfoy? I know you two have been seeing each other, and I kept my mouth shut about it because it seemed to make her happy, but for the past week I could sense something different. She's been reclusive and depressed and gloomy. She hasn't been leaving in the middle of the night to see you, not that I liked her going in the first place, but that seemed to be her only source of enjoyment. The other night she…"

"She what?" Draco stood up, eyebrows furrowed. "Did she have another nightmare?"

Hermione Granger nodded. "She woke up the whole girls' dorm with her screaming." Draco cursed. "Malfoy, what's going on? What did you do to her?!"

Draco glared at the girl again. He knew it was his fault, but still, the way she said it so accusingly…he knew exactly what she was thinking. She thought Draco had taken advantage of Ginny. "I did a lot of things to her, Granger. You'll have to be more specific," he drawled.

He could see her hand itching to grab her wand. "Did you touch her?"

"Yes. On multiple occasions." That did it. She pulled out her wand and aimed it at his throat in a swift movement. "But not how you're thinking, Granger. Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Then you didn't….molest her?"

"Hell no!" His fists clenched up and he had to force himself not to hit her. "I wouldn't….ugh! There's no point in trying to prove anything to you. You wouldn't believe me. I'm a Malfoy, I'm the evil one, right? The Death Eater? Get lost, I've had enough of this conversation."

"No! You will answer me. What do you two do every night when you see each other?"

He shrugged, staring out the window. "Whatever the hell we feel like doing. We talk, we do homework, we practice spells. We just…enjoy each other's company."

"Spells? What kind of spells?" She asked skeptically.

"The useful kind."

"You mean illegal."

"I means spells that would have been useful to her had she known them this summer when she needed them most."

"That's it?" She lowered her wand, looking confused, and on the face of Hermione Granger, know-it-all and teacher's pet, that was a priceless expression.

"Don't look so surprised, Granger. I'm not the bloody Death Eater you think I am."

"I didn't…I mean…"

"You think so, admit it. You think I'm a Death Eater, that I'm just like dear old daddy. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, correct?"

"No…Ginny told me you weren't…I should have believed her…But then, what did you do to her?"

"I…" he glared at the table he sat on, running his fingers along the etches in the wood. "I tried to kiss her."

He heard the girl gasp. "You did what?! Malfoy, after all you've seen of her, after what she's been through, how could you possibly think-"

"I know, alright!" He roared, standing. "I know it was stupid! I knew it would scare her away! I know it was wrong! I know! I got caught up in the moment and now I've ruined everything, all of our progress, and for all I know she could be in a lot of pain right now, and I can't be there to help her cope because I caused it. I fucked up, Granger. I get it!"

She paused, open-mouthed, and stared at him. Finally, she whispered, "Merlin…you love her, don't you?"

"What?" He seriously hoped he hadn't heard her right.

"You love her."

Draco turned away from her, his face set in the icy mask he had perfected from birth. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me, Malfoy. I can see straight through you."

"It doesn't matter. My feelings are irrelevant."

"You really do love her. That proves it. You care more about taking care of her and making sure she is happy then letting her, or anyone else, know that you love her. I don't think I'd realized how much of a sacrifice this is for you Malfoy."

"What the bloody hell are you going on about, Granger?"

She sighed. "I suppose you're right though. It doesn't matter. What matters is fixing this problem."

He slumped against the wall. "That seems to be the predicament."

"Have you tried talking to her?"

Draco snorted. "As if. She won't let me anywhere near her. And I won't make this worse by forcing her to talk to me. I've ruined things enough as it is."

Granger nodded. "That's probably for the best…perhaps I can talk to her. Convince her to see you again so you can explain yourself. Whether or not she forgives you or returns your feelings is her own business."

There was a silence. Then Draco asked, "Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?"

"I'm not." Granger turned to leave, pausing at the door. "I'm helping Ginny. You make her happy, and I want to see her happy. I want to see her get better. I don't know if I believe in miracles, Malfoy, but if I did, I would certainly say that what you're doing for her is one."

And with that, she left, closing the door behind her. Draco sighed, sinking to the floor, and buried his head in his hands. All he could do now was wait.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Hermione sat down beside Ginny on the couch, a book in one hand, a blanket in the other. She offered it to Ginny, who took it thankfully and covered herself. It was freezing in the commons room, even with the fire roaring in the fireplace, Ginny having scooted the couch so close it almost touched the edge of the hearth. She wrapped the blanket around her body, still shivering, and glanced at the stained glass window, where frost was beginning to form. It was October now, and in a month it would begin snowing. She could feel the drastic change in weather from cool and breezy to cold and frigid cut through her like a sharp knife.

A figure approached Hermione's side of the couch, and Ginny listened to their conversation in a sleepy daze. "Oh, hello Neville. How was the test today in Divinations?"

Despite the fact that Hermione hated the class, she had offered to help Neville study for it. It was sad when a girl knew more about her worst and most hated subject that she had spent less than a year studying than somebody actually in the class. At least, that was Ginny's opinion.

"Oh, I failed it." Neville Longbottom blushed. "I accidentally drank my tea leaves."

Hermione tsked and shook her head. "That's alright, the class is a joke anyway. Sooner or later they'll get rid of it from the curriculum."

"Well, actually, I wanted to ask you about something, Hermione."

"What's that?" the girl asked, not looking up from the book she was reading.

"It's about the dance…the masque…I wanted to know…I mean…"

As he continued to stutter out his invitation, Ginny stared listlessly into the fire. Headmistress McGonagall had announced during dinner that night that they were having a Halloween masqued ball to "raise hopes during these dark times of war and trouble." The Great Hall had immediately erupted in a frenzy of chatter and cheers and invitations and exclamations about costumes and dates and food and whatnot. Ginny had continued picking at her dinner, eating a few bites when she felt she could stomach it, before standing and leaving.

"Has anyone umm…invited you yet?"

Ginny watched the drama unfold as her brother stepped up to the couch, glaring at Neville. "What's going on?"

"Neville was just asking me to the ball," Hermione said nonchalantly.

"What? Well…well what did you say?"

Hermione shrugged. "I haven't said anything yet. Perhaps if you hadn't so rudely interrupted-"

"You're not going with him, are you?" He shot at her.

"Why not?" She shot back.

"Because…because…you can't!"

"Oh? And since when were you the master of me, Ronald?"

"It's just that…umm…you just can't, okay!"

"I can do whatever I want, Ron! I am a grown woman and I can make my own decisions. Neville, I would love-"

Ginny stood suddenly with a frustrated yell, if you could call it one. Despite how quiet her angry exclamation had been, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her in surprise, but for once, she didn't care. She glared at Ron and Hermione. "Honestly, would you two stop acting like children?" Ginny rolled her eyes when they gave her shocked but confused looks. "Ron, if you want to ask her out, ask her out already, damnit. Grow a backbone. Hermione, stop being such a snob and just go out with him. Honestly, I've never seen two people more in love who couldn't admit it."

Short-winded after her speech and from all of the eyes staring at her, Ginny escaped the commons to her dorm, thankful that there was no one in there. She burrowed under the covers, waiting for her racing heart to slow and her embarrassment to recede. It was at least an hour later that she heard the door open quietly, but Ginny opted to ignore it.

"Ginny?" It was Hermione. What did she want now? Ginny didn't answer her, but pretended to be asleep.

Hermione came to sit on her bed, resting a hand on Ginny's back. The girl flinched and hoped her friend didn't notice. "Umm…thanks…for that speech. It worked. Ron asked me and I accepted, so I guess now I have a date to the ball." Ginny still continued to refuse to speak. She knew Hermione knew she was awake, and she knew Hermione knew she knew that, but it was easier for both of them if they pretended she was asleep. "It's interesting…what you said…because it's so true. Two people can be in love and never notice it, never admit to it, for whatever reason." The girl sighed. "I went to speak with Malfoy today." Ginny's heart began to speed up. "I've been noticing how you've been avoiding him lately. He told me what happened. He says he's sorry for what he did, trying to kiss you, and I think he's hoping you'll forgive him and go see him again tonight. I just thought I'd relay the message to you."

Hermione stood and left, but Ginny continued to lie perfectly still, feeling the girl's presence still in the room. Finally, she heard her whisper, "Never saw two people more in love who couldn't admit it."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco was staring into the flames of his fireplace when he heard it. A voice, soft, delicate, beautiful, whisper his name. "Draco."

He stood in surprise, his head turning towards the source, and saw Ginny standing in the doorway. She wore a thick warm robe, flannel pajamas, and a confused, almost frightened expression. The girl's arms were wrapped tightly around herself and even with all her layers of clothes Draco could see her shivering. "Ginny…you're cold. Come near the fire." She obliged without protest, standing near the fireplace but not sitting, as if she weren't planning on staying long.

Draco didn't take his eyes off of her. She looked more than a little worse for wear, the dark shadows under her eyes having returned, her healthy glow faded in her pale, gaunt face, her hair hanging lankly into her eyes. He could tell she hadn't been eating or sleeping for the past week, and he began to worry again. But Draco kept his concerns to himself.

"What uh…what bring you here?"

Ginny shuffled her feet, which must have become very interesting, because her eyes stayed rooted on her slippers. "Hermione told me that you were sorry. For what happened."

Well, it wasn't exactly true. He wasn't sorry for trying to kiss her. He wanted to do it now, to wrap her in his arms and lay kisses all over every inch of her skin. He wanted to kiss her forever. But he was sorry that she didn't want to kiss him back. He was sorry that she had reacted so badly, sorry that he had scared her away, sorry that he had caused her relapse. But again, Draco kept all of these thoughts to himself. "All I had to do was apologize? I didn't think you'd forgive me that easily."

"I haven't yet. I've…I just…" Ginny shook her head, her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. Draco hated to see that worried wrinkle in her forehead. He stood, stepping over to her, and lifted her chin, running his thumb across her brow line and smoothing out the lines that had formed there. "Draco, I didn't like it when you did…that."

"Did what?"

She shifted her eyes away from his. "Try to…to kiss me. And…and I just…I can't continue being your friend if you're going to keep trying to."

"Ginny…" he sighed. "Why did you come back?"

"I missed you." She admitted.

He smiled to himself. "I missed you too. And I know that you're afraid and confused right now. I am too." He laughed nervously, stroking her face. "Ginny, I've never felt this way about anyone before. And it scares the hell out of me. But I can't just ignore it."

Ginny shook her head, trying to back away. "Please don't, Draco. Please don't say those things."

"I have to. I have to say them, Ginny. I can't hold them in any longer. Ginny, I think this…this feeling, I think it's the love that everyone talks about. I think it's that mystery that men and women write about, that people have lived their whole lives trying to understand and find and feel. I think I might love you."

Her eyes squeezed shut, her shoulders hunched, her arms folded around herself, as if she could block out what he was saying. The rejection hurt him, tore his heart in two, but he was in too deep to stop now. "Ginny…please, don't reject me like this."

"Draco…" she shook her head. "If you say those things, if you kiss me and promise me the world, if you fall in love with me, everything will be different. I don't want things to be different. I'm happy with the way they are now. I'm happy being friends. Why can't we just stay friends?"

"Who says we can't?" Draco chuckled. "Ginny, who says this has to change anything? Whether I say it or not, I'm still going to have these feelings. That doesn't mean that our relationship has to change. That doesn't mean that we can't still be friends, just friends, nothing more. They're just words, Ginny, just words to express how I feel, and I'm such a jumble of emotions, I don't think three words could describe it anyway. But you shouldn't be afraid of three little words, because they aren't going to change what we have."

"What _do _we have, Draco?"

He mulled this over. "I'm not really sure. I don't think there's a word for this. We're not just friends, but we're not boyfriend and girlfriend, and besides, all those terms sound far too juvenile and simplistic. I'm not sure what we are."

She bit on her lower lip, her eyes staring down at their clasped hands. He hadn't even realized he'd taken her hands in his, he'd been so caught up in the moment, but he didn't drop them. "Then…nothing is going to change, right?"

"Right."

"Nothing…none of that…kissing…or touching…or any of that stuff?"

"None of it."

"We'll keep being friends?"

"Forever."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

She nodded. "Okay…"

"Okay."

There was a long silence between them. Then Ginny looked up at him, head tilted to the side. "Now what?"

"Well…there's a ball in a few weeks. Would you like to go?"

"As your date?" She asked.

"As whatever you want."

"As a friend." Ginny decided.

He nodded. "As a friend then…Can I just do one thing, though?"

Ginny looked skeptical. "What?"

Draco leaned in closer, wrapping his arms around Ginny's back and pulling her body against his. He rested his chin on her head and closed his eyes, breathing in her scent as his body wrapped around her smaller, fragile one. He was careful not to squeeze too tight, for fear he would break her like the delicate flower that she was. And he couldn't deny it, even if he'd wanted to…how perfectly she fit into his arms.

"Draco…Draco, what are you doing? What is this?"

"This is a hug, Ginny."

"A hug?" The girl acted as if she'd never been hugged in her life. Draco knew, in the large, loving family she'd grown up in, that she had, but she still seemed shocked by the action. "Oh…" And then she tentatively wrapped her arms around his body, lay her head on his shoulder, and hugged him back.


	14. Haunted

A/N: Chapter 14 finally up! Sorry for not getting a chappie up last weekend. I was uber busy with school and whatnot. But I'll continue to try to get one up every weekend. Enjoy!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

I'm Dying again

I'm going under (going under)  
Drowning in you (drowning in you)  
I'm falling forever (falling forever)  
I've got to break through  
I'm going under

Blurring and stirring - the truth and the lies  
(So I don't know what's real) So I don't know what's real and what's not (and what's not)  
Always confusing the thoughts in my head  
So I can't trust myself anymore

I'm Dying again

-Going Under by Evanescence

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny took a deep breath, smoothing the skirt of her Medieval style dress and touching her hair self-consciously as she tried to prolong the inevitable. Hermione, however, nudged her forward.

"Come on, none of that Ginny. We're already late."

"But-"

"Draco is probably waiting for you."

"But-"

"And you have masks on, so nobody will recognize you, if that's what you're worried about."

"But 'Mione…"

"What?"

"I don't even know what I'm supposed to be."

Hermione lifted an eyebrow, looking down at her dress. "I thought you were the Lady of Shalott?"

"But I don't even look like the Lady of Shalott."

"Who says? Nobody even knows what she looks like."

"Exactly. I could be any other Medieval woman."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I shouldn't go. Nobody will know who I'm supposed to be."

Hermione sighed. "You're just trying to weasel your way out of going, now Ginny. Come on. You look fine, you look great. Let's go."

"But-"

Hermione grabbed her hand, opening the door and pulling her inside. Ginny blinked against the light, staring up at the ceiling through her masquerade mask. It was a beautiful, starry Halloween night. Hundreds of candles glowed above the head of the crowd of dancing students, all dressed in an assortment of costumes and almost all of them wearing masks. She wondered how she would ever find Draco in the mass of people, after all, she didn't even know what he was wearing. But Hermione didn't seem the least bit worried as she pulled Ginny through the crowd, dodging students as they ate food and chatted and danced and snogged.

Hermione finally stopped when they reached the wall, dropping Ginny's hand. She searched the crowd for a familiar face, but it was hard to pick out anyone with all the masks. "Who are you looking for, 'Mione?"

"Oh. Ron said he would meet me here." Ginny smiled at her friend, whose face lit up in an embarrassed blush. "Well, we are going out now."

Ginny felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned in surprise, laughing when her eyes landed on Draco's costume. He looked like a musketeer wearing black pants, high black boots, and a long, straight blue cape over his billowy white shirt. The sword at his side and the feather in his hat completed the outfit. The white mask that covered his face from his cheeks up to the top of his forehead looked a bit odd with the outfit, but they had both agreed to wear masks to prevent her brother or Harry from seeing them together.

"What are you supposed to be?" she asked with a giggle.

"What are you supposed to be?" he repeated her question stubbornly.

"I'm the Lady of Shalott," Ginny answered, lifting her chin haughtily and daring him to contradict her. She self-consciously touched the hem of her white, flowy dress, however, the long, wide sleeves billowing around her arms whenever she moved.

"Then I am Sir Lancelot, my lady." Draco bowed with a flourish of his hand, trying to hide the grin on his face.

"You don't look like Sir Lancelot."

"Well, you don't look particularly dead, so, I guess we'll be alright. Shall we dance, my lady?"

Ginny blushed, glancing at Hermione, who gave her a wink of encouragement. "Oh, I see Ron. Have fun Ginny!"

Hermione left before Ginny could stop her. Draco grabbed her hand and for the second time in ten minutes she was pulled through the crowd of people. Draco turned to her when they reached the center of the dance floor, smiling at her brightly. He took her hand, spinning her around in a circle before pulling her against him. Their feet moved in unison, Ginny remembering the steps by heart, as they wove effortlessly through the crowd. Draco's hand lowered to her waist and his chest brushed against hers and the room felt suddenly hot.

She knew she should be used to this by now, Draco had, after all, been teaching her to dance for the past few weeks. Shortly after agreeing to go to the masqued ball with him Ginny found herself trying to weasel out of the deal, making up any excuse imaginable to avoid being amidst so many people at once. She had claimed she didn't have enough money for a costume and Draco had given her the money for one and even convinced Hermione to take her to Hogsmeade to buy one. She had mentioned the obvious fact that her brother and Harry would kill them both if they were seen dancing together, not to mention the gossip that would start. He had agreed and claimed they would both wear masks to hide their identity. In a last ditch effort, she told him she didn't know how to dance, at least, not to ballroom music.

She should have known that, raised in his rich, proper family, he would have had lessons in ballroom dancing. The next day he transformed his abandoned classroom into a dancing studio. He taught her for weeks how to dance. It was incredibly embarrassing, to say the least. Draco was suave and sophisticated and elegant and Ginny was clumsy and had two right feet. But he held her close night after night and spun her around the room until their feet no longer tripped over each other and their heads no longer bumped and their hands no longer landed in embarrassing places when they stumbled and fell in a tangled heap of limbs.

That didn't stop Ginny from feeling uncomfortable when Draco's hands grasped her hips and he dipped her back low enough that her hair brushed the floor. His face was just centimeters from hers and they were both breathing heavily from their dancing. She glanced around them, her face as red as her hair. "Draco, I feel like people are staring at me."

"They are." He answered simply, pulling her back up. They began moving through the crowd again, the room spinning and twirling around them.

"But why?"

He chuckled, his eyes shining, and he touched her face. "Isn't it obvious, Ginny? Because you're beautiful." He laughed then, looking over her shoulder.

"What? What is it?" she asked, glancing behind her.

"It's your brother. He's glaring daggers at me. If looks could kill…"

"He recognizes me?" She hid her face in his shirt in mortification.

"Ginny, anyone would recognize you a mile away, mask or not. The Weasley red hair kind of gives you away."

"What if he recognizes you?"

"He won't. He can't even see my face under this hat and mask. He'll never know it's me."

"You're always so sure of yourself."

The song slowed to a stop and so did their dancing. Draco didn't let Ginny go though, nor did he begin dancing again, even when a new song started. Instead, he held her tight against him, staring down at her with a strange look in his eyes. "What is it Draco? Why are you looking at me like that?"

His eyes glowed in the candle light with a mischievous twinkle. His lips curled up in that devilish grin that always made her stomach churn and her body sweat. She didn't know how or why, but his face seemed to grow closer to hers, and she knew he was going to kiss her. And yet…she didn't mind. She didn't resist. Ginny found her eyes slipping shut, her lips parting to accept his. Ginny's eyes looked over Draco's shoulder, too embarrassed to return his gaze. She wasn't sure she was ready for this, but she was so caught up in the moment…

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

When Draco first laid eyes on Ginny, she took his breath away. Her short red hair fell mysteriously over her face, half covering the white, jewel studded mask she wore over her eyes. Her dress flowed down to her feet and was slightly too long for her, so she had to lift it up to keep from tripping on it and was continuously fighting with the huge, billowy sleeves. The dress was modestly cut, just revealing the slightest amount of cleavage, teasing him and evoking the imagination.

Dancing with her didn't help any. The more he danced with her, the more he touched her, the harder it was to resist her. He wanted to pull her against him, to press his lips to hers. He suddenly wished the other students, the school, the whole damn world would just melt away, leaving him and her. Would she love him then? If it was just the two of them, would she feel the same way he did for her? Would she kiss him?

He found himself staring at her lips. They looked so soft and full, painted with a light pink lip gloss. They shimmered like her mask in the glowing light of thousands of candles. And her eyes. He was mesmerized by them, those dark, mysterious eyes. Her long, thick lashes brushed against the edges of her mask, accentuating those eyes which, for the first time in months, seemed to catch the light and shine light brown instead of black. His hand moved against his will, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. He didn't even notice that his hand began to run through her hair, that her face gradually grew closer to his. Her eyes were wide with fright and she seemed unable to move, to breathe. He felt he had to say something to break the awkward silence between them.

"Ginny…" She didn't respond, and he stopped in his movements. His face was just a few centimeters from hers, but she wasn't looking at him. No, her eyes were focused over his shoulder, at some distant object he couldn't see. And that fear…the fear he thought was just a reaction to the nearness of their bodies, to the movement of his face towards hers, to the proximity of their lips and the potential for a kiss…it suddenly dawned on him that that fear had nothing to do with him. No, her eyes were wide with terror, he could almost see the images playing behind them like a Muggle movie, could see her reliving the memories. Even when he called her name, when he shook her, she did not respond to him.

"Ginny! Ginny, what's wrong? What's going on? Ginny?!"

Her mouth opened and closed, as if trying to find the words. Her eyes never left the spot they were locked on. He should have looked behind him, should have looked to see who or what had caused this reaction, but he was more concerned with getting her attention again. "It's…" she whispered, and again her mouth moved, trying to form the words.

"It's what Ginny?! Snap out of it!"

"It's…_him_."

Him. The way she said it, with so much horror in her voice, so much emphasis on that single word, he knew she was talking about someone specific. But who would evoke so much fright in her? Who would…realization began to dawn on him with a horrible dread. The weight of that single word…it could mean only one thing…

Draco glanced behind him then, searched where her eyes were looking. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary, there was nothing but the moving crowd of dancing students, and then…movement, out of the corner of his eye. He saw a flurry of a cloak as a body spun and began weaving its way quickly through the crowd. Too quickly, running almost, fleeing.

Draco grabbed Ginny's arm without thinking, pulling her through the crowd. He didn't contemplate his actions, just moved as quickly as he could, trying to catch up with the figure that was rapidly escaping to the far door. Ginny didn't resist, she seemed unable to, and he knew he couldn't take her with him. But he couldn't just leave her here, alone.

He made another split second decision, turning quickly to the right and pulling her towards two teenagers he recognized. Granger looked over at him in surprise, then at Ron, who, when he noticed Draco, opened his mouth to yell at him. Draco ignored the boy, grabbing Hermione and pulling her to the side. He placed Ginny's arm in the woman's hand.

"Get her out of here. Somewhere safe. Your Commons…something, just get her out."

"What—what's going on?"

"I can't explain right now. Just get her out! She isn't safe!" He turned, giving them one last glance, and began running towards the exit. The cloaked figure was there already, he stopped, turning and glancing back towards Draco. Whoever he was, he wore a hood over his masked face, casting it in shadows. But still, Draco could imagine the expression on his face, the evil grin there, and he knew now, without a doubt, that this was the man that had raped Ginny.

And then he disappeared out the back exit, and Draco cursed, sprinting full speed towards the door, ignoring the yells he got as he shoved people out of his way.

He pushed the door open, stumbling into the hallway and trying to catch himself so he didn't hit the wall in front of him. The empty hallway went left and right, both ends cast in shadow. He saw no one, but the sound of an object clattering against the floor drew his head to the right. He began running again, cursing when again he reached another break in the hallways. Draco began turning down random corridors, searching for any sign of life, but the passages were all dark and empty. The longer he ran, the deeper his dread grew, and he knew he had lost the man.

He finally stopped half an hour later, cursing and slamming his fist against the cold stone wall. He had lost him. He had lost perhaps his only chance of catching one of the men that raped Ginny. Draco leaned his head against the wall, trying to calm his breathing, but he couldn't keep the rage from building in his heart. That bastard, whoever he was…how dare he come back to school?! How dare he show his face here and pretend to be an innocent student. How dare he be in Ginny's presence. For all he knew, the man could pass Ginny every single day in the hallways. For all he knew…

Ginny. Draco's eyes flew open. Who knew what was happening to her right now? Who knew what turmoil she was in? He had just left her there with Granger without explaining a damn thing!

"Idiot!" Draco yelled at himself, turning on his heel. He took off again at a jog, winding his way back through the corridors and towards the Gryffindor commons room. He just hoped that Granger had taken her there.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

And then the moment went from exciting and romantic to horrible and frightening in a split second. That one glance, that one instant changed everything. Her eyes landed on a figure that stood out amongst the dancing crowd. The man was not dancing like everyone else. He stood apart in the crowd, completely unmoving, his face cast in shadow by the hood of his cloak. His head lifted ever so slightly, as if he felt her staring at him curiously, and their eyes locked, Ginny's brown with his blue.

Piercing blue eyes filled her vision. The rest of the room melted away. The music grew muffled. The people disappeared, leaving just him and her. He wore a black mask over his entire face, revealing just his eyes, and those eyes…

Ginny shook her head, trying to back away from him, but she couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She was rooted on the spot by his icy, cruel gaze. She couldn't see his face, but she knew he was grinning at her.

And then he was moving towards her. She couldn't get away, couldn't escape. He stood before her, his body pressed against hers. She could feel something hard between her legs. He grabbed her arm, so she couldn't escape, and lowered his lips, whispering in her ear. "Ginny. Ginny, why are you so scared?"

She shook her head, trying to close her eyes, trying to block him out, but it didn't work. He grabbed her, shoving her against a wall, and when she opened her eyes again, she was there. In the alley. She was naked, though she didn't remember him taking her clothes off, and he was touching her, his hands everywhere.

"What's wrong, Weasley? You'll enjoy it, I promise." They laughed, the other three men. She shook her head, trying to scream, to fight him off.

"Yes, make her scream. I want to hear her scream." Whispered the man behind him.

Ginny struggled to push his hands off, but he was too strong for her. In a last ditch effort she lifted her knee, ramming it into his groin. He doubled over in pain and she began running, stark naked, towards the end of the alley, where the other two waited with grins on their faces for her.

She only made it a few meters before the spell slammed into her back, throwing her to the ground. Pain filled her body from head to toe and she knew this must be the Cruciatus Curse they had learned about in class. It felt as if every limb, every muscle, every vein in her body was on fire, ripping, and shredding. The pain was unimaginable, like a million broken bones everywhere in her body. It went on for countless minutes, so that all she could think about was the agony she was in.

When it finally did stop, he was on top of her again, grinning. "You bitch!" He punched her in the face, busting open her lip. "Think that was funny, did ya? I'm really going to have a lot of fun raping you now."

He unzipped his pants, exposing himself to her, and she knew this was the end. There was no escape for her anymore. She had six brothers, so it wasn't as if she hadn't accidentally seen a penis before, but a man had never exposed himself to her, nor had she ever asked for one to. She felt the bile rise in her throat when she saw something shiny glinting in the light at the end of it.

And, before she could scream again, he pinned her to the ground, yanking her legs open. His dirty fingers touched her down there, where no man had ever touched her before, and something seemed to anger him. "Not even wet, Weasley? We'll have to change that."

And then he thrust himself into her, hard. Ginny screamed in pain as she felt her skin rip and her virgin blood spilled out onto the ground beneath her. She begged for him to stop, but that begging only made him more excited, and he continued thrusting into her, again and again, and she continued bleeding.

"It's all your fault, Weasley." He whispered in her ear, slamming her into the ground. "It's all your fault, you little whore. Always wearing those teasing clothes, always flirting with all those guys. How can a man resist you? I've wanted you since I saw you first year." He slammed her head against the ground again, and she saw her vision go blurry. Something sticky and hot ran down the back of her head. Just a few more seconds, and she passed out.

The world went black. But the pain didn't stop.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"What's wrong with her? Hermione, what's wrong with my sister?!"

"She's hyperventilating." Hermione explained, sitting Ginny down in a chair. She grabbed Ginny's face, looking into her blank eyes, but the girl didn't return her stare. She seemed too far gone by now, lost in her own world. Hermione swallowed, her heart filling with pity. The look of sheer terror on Ginny's face, the way her haunted eyes stared off into space, her rapid breathing, as if she had just run a mile…Hermione wished there was more she could do for her.

"Should we take her to the Hospital Wing?"

"No," Hermione shook her head, not looking at Ron. "We don't want to cause a scene. If we take her to the Hospital Wing gossip will start. We don't want people talking about her more than they already are." Hermione didn't tell him her other reason. Draco Malfoy had said to take Ginny here, back to the commons. Hermione knew that was where he would be looking for her. She didn't doubt that Draco knew where there commons room was and would find his way here eventually.

"Then what do we do? Is she going to be okay?"

"I think she's going into shock. Go get some blankets, she's shaking."

Ron nodded and ran up to his dorm, returning as quickly as he could. He handed two thick blankets to Hermione, who wrapped them around Ginny's shoulders. "Now what?"

"I don't know…I don't think there's anything physically wrong with her. I think something triggered this."

"Triggered what?"

"This…waking nightmare. She seems to be having a bad dream."

"Well, can't you wake her up?"

Hermione glanced up at him and nodded. "I can try."

But no matter how many times Hermione tried, it didn't shake Ginny out of her panic attack. They both tried talking to her, but she didn't seem to recognize their voices. And whenever Ron laid a hand on her she began screaming and thrashing and fighting. Finally, Hermione asked him to stand a few meters away from her, for her comfort.

And then the sound came that Hermione had been waiting for for half an hour. A knock at the portrait. She sighed in relief, going to open it, and was glad to see Draco Malfoy there. He was breathing almost as heavily and rapidly as Ginny, his hair was a mess and he appeared to have lost his hat a long time ago, and his fist was swollen and bleeding, as if he's punched something. He didn't even ask Hermione where Ginny was, just pushed past her into the room, throwing off his cloak and running to Ginny's side.

Before he could even kneel down in front of Ginny, though, Ron was grabbing him, pulling him to his feet. "You! Who the hell are you?! I saw you dancing with my sister! What did you do to her?"

Draco grabbed Ron's hand roughly, prying it off of his shirt. He shoved Ron away and, in a swift movement, grabbed his mask, pulling it up off of his face. Ron just sputtered, staring at him in shock. "Surprised, Weasley?"

"Malfoy?! What the hell did you do to my sister?!" And before Hermione could intervene Ron had launched himself at Draco, tackling him. They collided to the floor and began rolling, Ron punching Draco repeatedly in the face as he tried to fight him off. They screamed and fought, Ron repeating his question over and over again and he punched Draco, not allowing him a second to answer.

"Guys! Stop!" Hermione yelled, grabbing Ron and yanking him off of Draco. She held her boyfriend back as the boy kneeled on the floor, clutching his bleeding nose. "I don't think this is what Ginny needs right now!"

"What is he doing with my sister?! What happened to her?!"

Draco Malfoy glared at him and stood, straightening his shirt. "I'm friends with her. I have been for months. She's been keeping it a secret from you." Ron opened his mouth to scream at him again, but Draco lifted his hand. "She saw…I believe she saw one of her rapists at the ball. It caused her to have a panic attack."

"What happened, Malfoy?" Hermione asked, worry in her voice. "Did you catch him?"

Draco grimaced and shook his head, his fists clenching up in balls. "No. He escaped from me."

"You mean to tell me this…this Death Eater has been hanging around my sister? That they're dating."

"No, not dating." Draco answered curtly. "And I'm not a Death Eater. And I'm not answering anymore of your damn questions. I'm not here to fight with you, Weasley, I'm here to check on your sister, _my friend_." Draco kneeled down in front of Ginny, but Ron continued yelling.

"Don't touch my sister, Malfoy! Don't you lay your damn filthy hands-"

Draco couldn't resist then. He whirled around and grabbed Ron by the throat, slamming him against the wall. "Listen, Weasel, I know you're pretty thick-headed, but let me spell it out for you. Ginny is sick, her mind is fucked up, okay? And just about anything can trigger a panic attack in her, especially seeing the man that raped her at her school. Now, maybe you didn't notice, but all of this screaming and fighting isn't really helping her right now. If you want me to help her, you're going to shut the hell up and sit there nice and quiet, understand?"

Ron could do nothing but gape at Draco as he pulled away from him and for the third time kneeled in front of Ginny. Hermione forced her boyfriend to sit down in a chair, holding his hand in hers as they both stared at the two teenagers in front of them. Ginny was now rocking back and forth, her arms clenched around her body, still shaking despite all of the blankets that she wore. Draco took her face in his hands, lifting it so their eyes locked, but she didn't seem to see him.

"Ginny," Draco whispered, keeping his voice light and his touch gentle. He removed her mask and brushed her hair out of her face. "Ginny, I need you to listen to the sound of my voice. I need you to wake up now okay? Whatever you're seeing, whatever you're feeling, it's not real. It's just a nightmare, Ginny. And it's time to wake up."

Draco continued to whisper her name, laying his forehead against hers. At first it didn't seem to help, but he didn't give up. The minutes ticked by and still he held her close, whispering to her, trying to get her to remember who she was as Ron and Hermione looked on with wide eyes. Hermione had never seen anything like this before. It was like he had some sort of healing power in his voice and his touch. Slowly, Ginny began to calm. Her rocking slowed to a stop. Her breathing returned to normal. Her shaking became just a slight shiver. Finally, her eyes opened, truly opened, focusing on the boy in front of her.

"Draco?" she whispered in confusion. Her eyes were wide with fear, a haunted look filled her face, and her head whipped around the room as she searched for something. "Where is he? Where is he Draco? Is he here?"

"No, he's not here," he whispered, pulling Ginny close. She embraced him, her arms wrapping tightly around his body as she began to sob.

"I saw him. I know I did."

Draco nodded, and Hermione saw tears spring to his eyes. She held Ron's hand tightly as she watched them, unable to do anything more. "I know. I saw him too. I tried to catch him Ginny, I tried with all my might. I searched for him for half an hour, even after I lost him, but I couldn't catch him. I'm so sorry, Ginny. I'm so sorry."

He kissed the top of her head and began to rock her gently as she cried against his shoulder. The anguish in his eyes, the horrible, tragic sadness for her, the rage for those men, Hermione saw it all. She understood then just how much Draco Malfoy loved Ginny Weasley.


	15. Confrontations

A/N: Chapter 15, yay! Couldn't find a song that fit this situation exactly, but this one seemed the best. Umm…don't know what else to say…except enjoy!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

They say  
They don't trust  
You, me, we, us  
So we'll fall  
If we must  
Cause it's you, me  
And it's all about  
It's all about

They don't know  
They can't see  
Who we are  
Fear is the enemy  
Hold on tight  
Hold on to me  
'Cause tonight

It's all about us  
It's all about  
All about us  
There's a theme that they can't touch  
'Cause ya know (ah ah)  
It's all about us (all about us)

-All About Us by TATU

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny had managed to avoid her brother all day, so it was only inevitable that he would be waiting in the commons room for her during dinner. She had thought he would be at the Great Hall eating, but he must have suspected she was trying to evade him. He sat on the couch by himself, his back to her as he stared into the fireplace, so she could not see his face. The few students that had skipped dinner were idling around studying or passing through the commons room on their way to detentions or the library. She was glad the room was fairly empty as she steeled herself for their confrontation.

"Ron?" Ginny asked, coming up behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder. He didn't answer, just continued staring. "I…I'm not going to apologize for going behind your back. He's my friend. I know it may be hard for you to accept, but—"

"Hard to accept?" Ron whispered harshly. All at once, his voice rose. "Hard to accept?!" He stood, spinning, and she backed away in surprise. His eyes reflected the light of the fire, burning and smoldering with anger, and it frightened her. She had seen her brother mad before, at her even, but never this furious. "Try impossible, Ginny. How can I…how could you…" His fists clenched as he tried to find the words. "All this time, you've been coercing with the enemy?! I can't believe you! You…you disgust me!" Ron yelled, face turning red in rage.

"He is not the enemy, Ron!" Ginny whispered loudly, her voice harsh, and she tried to ignore how hurt she was by his comment. "He is my _friend_."

"Well, you don't really have the best choice in friends, do you?"

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

"I just mean you don't exactly make the best decisions, Ginevra! What happened in the Chamber, and then this summer."

Ginny gasped, staring at him in shock, tears springing to her eyes. "How dare you, Ronald?! You have _no_ right to bring that up!"

"I'm your brother! I'm just trying to protect you!"

She ignored the people staring at their fight, ignored their whispering and gossip. More of them were crowding into the room, drawn by their yelling. "Protect me from what, Ron?!"

"From him! He's a Slytherin! A Death Eater!" He lowered his voice, so they wouldn't hear. "A Malfoy! For all you know…he could have been one of your rapists!" Ron hissed.

Ginny heard the resounding slapping sound of flesh on flesh before she even saw her hand reach up to hit her brother. A red hand print began to form on his cheek, bright and angry, as irate as she felt. "Don't you dare…" she quivered with the rage burning in her heart, "don't you _ever_ accuse him of _that_. He has been there for me through everything. _Draco_, not you, has been there to help me for months. And where have you been? What have you done?!"

"Was he there every day when you cried yourself to sleep? Did he listen to you wake up screaming in the middle of the night? Did he watch you fall apart, watch you starve yourself, watch you become just a shell of a person? Where was he then, Ginny? Tell me that!"

Ginny glared at him. "All you ever did was watch! He helped me. He…he saved me."

"Where was he the night you were raped, Ginny? Did he save you then?!"

Ginny shook her head, lowering her eyes and staring at her feet. She felt all of her anger drain out of her with a sigh and exhaustion take its place. She suddenly just wanted to lie down, to sleep, to forget any of this had ever happened. Yes, to fall asleep, and never wake up. "Where were you?" She whispered, pushing past him and running up to her room.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Malfoy!" Draco heard behind him. He continued walking, opting to ignore the voice calling him. "Malfoy!" A hand grabbed his shoulder, yanking him back and throwing him off balance. He managed to catch himself and right his footing at the last minute, before he collided with the person behind him. Draco spun, glowering as he yanked the arm off his shoulder.

"Potter. What the hell do you want?" Draco asked, glaring at the black-haired boy before him.

"This is my only warning, Malfoy. Stay the hell away from Ginny." The boy threatened.

Draco snorted, rolling his eyes. "Or you'll do what, Pothead?"

"I'll curse you into oblivion." His wand stuck into Draco's throat.

"Why don't you do it now, Potter? Nobody's around to stop you. _I dare you_." Draco taunted, drawing out each word.

Before he could think or even react a fist was coming his way, slamming into his nose. He stumbled back, again thrown off balance, and this time when he tried to catch himself his foot was met with air. Draco fell, throwing out his arms to grab onto something, but all he managed to do was brush the banister with his hand and slow his fall as he tumbled down the stairs. The hard edges of the staircase cut into his skin and when he landed at the bottom, his head slammed against the hard marble floors. Draco groaned, trying to lift himself up, his vision spinning.

Potter descended the stairs with murder in his eyes. His wand was lifted at Draco's head, and for the first time in his life, Draco was actually afraid of the boy he had always been jealous of. "If you touch her, talk to her, look at her, so much as _think_ about her again—"

"In case you forgot, Potty, she's not your girlfriend anymore." Draco managed to spit out. He rose up on all fours, blood dripping out of his nose onto the ground.

The boy grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him off of the ground and digging his wand into Draco's forehead, right between his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by a professor's voice. "What is going on here? Mr. Potter? Mr. Malfoy?"

They both turned to see Snape standing beside them, his arms folded over his chest and a stern look on his face. "Fighting in the halls? Do I have to give you both detentions? Reduce a hundred points from your House, Potter?"

The boy released Draco, stepping away. "No, Professor."

"No? My student looks to have a bloody nose, Potter. If he tells me you gave it to him—"

"It was nothing, Professor." Draco interrupted, still glaring at Harry Potter. "I fell down the stairs. Potter was just…helping me up."

Snape obviously didn't buy it, but he didn't push them. "Potter, go back to your commons. It's almost curfew. Draco, come with me. Let's fix that broken nose."

"Yes professor," Draco agreed, giving the Golden Boy one last look before he turned and followed Severus.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

When Ginny awoke again it was night. The sun had been down for hours, the moon was out, and there were tears dried to her cheeks. She sat up, blinking in surprise, and glanced over at the clock. It was almost one—Ginny was usually at Draco's by now. The girl pulled the drapes aside and stepped onto the cold floor, grabbing her wand and heading for the door. She was surprised when a voice stopped her.

"Are you leaving again?"

Ginny turned, staring in surprise at a group of girls in the bunk next to her. In their small room there were five other sixth year Gryffindors. She wasn't really friends with them, she couldn't even remember their names at the moment, nor did she ever speak to them. Mostly, they all just ignored her, especially on nights like tonight, when they all sat on one of the girl's bed together, chatting and giggling and sharing gossip. Now, they were all staring at her.

"Uhh…yeah…" she answered, wondering why they suddenly cared.

"You're always coming and going," the girl spoke again. She sat in the middle of the group, the alpha female, and it was no wonder. She was beautiful, with her long, perfectly straight blonde hair, pretty face, skinny body, and large breasts. The other girls all seemed to pale in comparison to her. "In the middle of the night. You wake us all up."

"I…I do? I'm sorry…" Ginny answered, not looking straight at any of them, but rather at the game that sat on the middle of the bed between them.

"And she wakes up screaming…" whispered the girl beside her, as if Ginny weren't there. Her pretty lips pouted and she flipped her brunette hair over her shoulder.

"We're all sick of it, Ginny." Spoke up the blonde again. "We've come to a decision. You can't just keep coming and going like this. Either stay here for the night or stay wherever it is you go, but don't keep sneaking around in the dark. It's creepy."

"You…you all feel this way?" The redhead asked, glancing up at them again. Three of the girls nodded resolutely, the leader and the whisperer included, but two of them averted their eyes, as if they didn't agree, but knew that if they disagreed they would be thrown out of the group. "I see."

"You have to choose, Ginny. Us or whoever else you're seeing."

"Probably some boy sexing her up," commented the whisperer, smiling cruelly. "She's such a little whore." One of the other girls tittered in embarrassment at her crude joke.

Ginny felt tears spring to her eyes, but she ignored them. "Then…I guess I'll just leave…" She could feel their eyes following her as she went to her bed and pulled her trunk out from under it. She opened her drawers, throwing her clothes, books, potions into it, not bothering to organize them. Ginny had barely unpacked since she'd come in August and she didn't have any posters or decorations like the other girls, so it only took her ten minutes to gather all of her things in her trunk, trying to ignore their stares burning holes into her back and making her cheeks and ears flush red. She wiped the tears away angrily, not wanting them to see her cry, and was thankful when she was finally done and practically running from the room. Their cruel laughter followed behind her as they made fun of her and her tears.

Ginny's trunk clanked heavily down the stairs, to her embarrassment, as she made her way to the commons room. A few people were still up and they turned to stare at her in surprise, but Ginny kept her head down and her hair over her eyes. She only paused when she heard Hermione ask her where she was going, but seeing the girl with Harry and Ron, she sped up in her hasty retreat. She was out of the portrait hole and running down the corridor at top speed before they could catch up with her.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

It didn't take long for word to reach Hermione about Ron and Ginny's fight. She rushed to the commons room as soon she heard people gossiping at dinner, but Ginny was nowhere to be seen. Ron was pacing angrily, biting off anyone's head that dare approach him, even Hermione. Harry was with him, his fist bloody, and Hermione worried what the two had done in their anger.

Ron and Harry both refused to speak to her, grouping her in with Ginny as "coercing with the enemy," as they now saw it. Hermione was forced to hear about the fight secondhand from someone who had watched it unfold, and she was astonished by how rude Ron has been to his little sister. When she confronted Ron and finally got him to talk to her, all he did was yell.

"Ron, how could you have said those things to your sister? That's so horrible!"

"How could you have let this go on for so long, Hermione?! Knowing that she was hanging around with him, doing Merlin only knows what?! If she hadn't lost her virginity before she certainly has now!"

Hermione gaped at him in shock. "Ronald! They are friends! He's been helping her through all of her problems for months now. He makes her happy. Why can't you just accept that?"

They all looked up at the sound of something heavy clanking down the stairs. Hermione watched as Ginny's legs, then her torso, then her face, emerged as she stepped down the stairs, dragging her trunk behind her as if it held the weight of the world. Everyone stopped talking and turned to stare at her as she made her way to the door, as if walking the plank. Hermione glanced at Ron and Harry for help.

"Look what you've driven her to! Say something, Ron! Apologize!" She hissed at him.

Ron turned his face away, but Harry just shook his head, watching Ginny as if she were the scum of the earth. "She's going to _him_."

"Because you two forced her to choose between him and you." Hermione stared between the boys and Ginny, who was trying to pull her trunk out of the portrait hole. Nobody offered to help her, but she finally managed to yank it through, practically falling to the ground with the effort. "Do something! Harry? Ron? She's your sister!"

"She's no sister of mine."

Hermione shook her head in shock, backing away from them. "How could you be so cruel to her? Just for being friends with him? Just for seeing past all of your stupid hatred and your family's prejudice? Just for seeing past his name?"

"I never thought you could side with a Malfoy, Hermione." Ron bit out, glaring at her.

"And I never thought you could be so cruel, Ron." Hermione turned and followed Ginny out of the portrait hole, but by then the girl was gone.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco was lying in bed staring at the moonlight, reflected off of the lake, dance across his ceiling when he heard the door open. He sat up, brow furrowed, and blinked at the sudden intrusion of bright blue light glowing on the tip of a wand. The wand lowered, casting Ginny's face in its light, and he found himself smiling for the first time all day.

"Hey. Where've you been? I thought you weren't coming." Draco got up, stirring the red coals and putting another log in the fireplace. The fire kicked up, bathing the room in a warm light, and Ginny put out her wand.

"I'm sorry. I fell asleep."

"That's alright. You didn't have to come this late, though. It's almost two in the morning."

She didn't speak, and Draco stepped over towards her, staring curiously at the large, bulky shadow beside her. "What's with the trunk?"

"I was hoping…I could stay here. If it's okay with you."

"Stay? What, for the night? Yeah, sure." Draco took her trunk from her and set it by his bed, then pulled her over to the fire to warm up. With her face bathed in the light he noticed the tears he hadn't seen when she stood in the dark. "Hey, what's the matter, Ginny?" Draco lifted her chin, wiping the tears away from the corners of her eyes.

"I meant…for the rest of the year. If that's alright?"

He was confused at first, but then he realized she was talking about sleeping there. "For the rest of the year? Did they kick you out of your dorm?"

She nodded, biting on her bottom lip. Draco felt anger stir in his chest and his hand clenched around her hair tightly. When he realized what he was doing, he dropped it. "I mean, if you don't want me to that's alright. I can find somewhere else…you're the only person I knew to come to…"

Draco's heart filled with pity and he smiled at her gently. "Yeah, you can stay here. If you don't mind the close quarters and all."

Ginny shook her head quickly. "No, not at all. I can sleep on the couch, and I'm very quiet. I won't trouble you at all, I pro—"

Draco put a finger on her lips, chuckling. "Ginny, you're asking me if I want to spend the whole year living with a beautiful woman that I adore. What do you think? And you don't have to sleep on the couch. Take the bed."

"Are you sure?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowing. Her lips brushed his finger teasingly as she spoke, and he found himself tracing them lightly.

"Yeah, of course. I can sleep on the couch. The bed's all yours. You know where the nearest bathroom is. If you just toss your laundry in the corner the House Elves will clean it everyday. Hell, I can even sleep in the classroom if you don't want to sleep in the same room with me."

Ginny shook her head. "No, that's alright. I don't mind. But…where can I change?"

Draco blinked in surprise, noticing she was still in her school uniform. "Oh, right. I'll just leave. Just let me know when you're done." He closed the door, waiting out in the classroom and suddenly wishing he had a cloak to keep him warm. Away from the fireplace and his cozy blankets it was freezing. Thankfully, Ginny only took a few minutes to finish changing her clothes and let him back in the room. They sat on the couch together by the fire, Draco fetching a blanket and wrapping it around their shoulders. There was something intimated about sitting there under a blanket together, their bodies touching and warming one another's.

"What happened to your nose?" Ginny asked, touching it lightly. "It's bruised."

Draco shrugged. "I just got in a fight."

"With who?"

"Potter."

She gasped. "He did that to you?"

Draco grinned. "He broke it. But that's alright, Snape fixed it up fine. The man claims he isn't a healer, but I could argue otherwise."

"I'm sorry, Draco. This is all my fault."

"Not really. You could say it's mine for finding you last night and revealing who I was to your brother. I expect he gave you the cold shoulder."

Ginny bit her lip, her eyes once more filling with tears. Draco suddenly regretted what he'd said. "I wish. He yelled at me. He told me he was disgusted by me."

Draco wrapped an arm around Ginny's shoulder, pulling her against his body. He stroked her hair gently as she tried to fight her tears. "He just…" she whispered, her voice muffled by his shirt. "He just doesn't understand how much I…I care about you." It sounded as if she wanted to say something else, but Draco let it go.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I wish I hadn't come between you two like this. I wish he didn't make you choose between us."

Ginny shook her head, glancing up at him. "I'm glad I chose you, Draco. You're my best friend. You're the only person who understands me."

Draco couldn't keep the smile off of his face when she said that. He sighed, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, and was, not for the first time, overwhelmed by how beautiful she was. Her brown eyes were half-lidded with sleep, her face glowed with the warmth of the fire, tinting her cheeks pink. Her soft lips teased him, making him lick his own in desire, but he managed to resist. Her red hair glowed brighter than the flames in the fireplace, reminding him of the fire bird that was continually reborn from its ashes. She looked like an angel, a red-headed angel, and he found himself falling more in love with her the longer he stared at her.

Ginny began to snore lightly, making Draco chuckle. She was, of course, completely oblivious to his adoration of her. Draco picked up the girl gently in his arms, carrying her over to the bed and laying her in it lovingly. Tenderly, he wrapped the blankets around her body, making sure she was warm and comfortable, and turned to leave, but was stopped by her small hand wrapping around his wrist. "Don't leave, Draco." She murmured sleepily, not opening her eyes. "Stay with me."

How could he resist her? He would do whatever she asked him. He would go to the end of the earth and fling himself off if she told him that would make her happy. He was so hopelessly in love with her that he would be her slave for all eternity. Draco crawled into the bed beside Ginny, wrapping his arms around her small body and holding her close.

Draco barely slept a wink that night. He was too distracted staring at her lovely face, even after the fire died down and all he had to see by was moonlight. Draco had grown up rich, fed by a silver spoon. He had slept night after night for eighteen years of his life on a feather bed fit for a king. He had had the softest satin sheets and the thickest blankets and so many pillows there wasn't enough room for him. But laying there on that tiny lumpy mattress under layers of old, scratchy blankets, straining his eyes to stare at the girl in his arms and fighting all night to keep them open, was the best sleep he'd ever gotten.


	16. Believe

A/N: A very dramatic chappie and a turning point in the story. It's a bit shorter than usual because the next scene is such a big shift from this one, I decided to make it its own chapter. But you guys will read that one next weekend. Until then, enjoy!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

All the smiles you've had to fake  
And all the shit you've had to take  
Just to lead us here again  
I never have the things to say  
To make it all just go away  
To make it all just disappear

Believe in me  
I know you've waited for so long  
Believe in me  
Sometimes the weak become the strong  
Believe in me  
This life's not always what it seems  
Believe in me  
Cause I was made for chasing dreams

It's my life  
It's my choice  
Hear my words  
Hear my voice  
And just believe

-Believe by Staind

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Draco watched Ginny's eyelids flutter, her lashes brushing her cheeks. He stroked the hair out of her face, smiling when the sun streamed in through the window and highlighted her red hair and soft, pale skin. She blinked once, twice, turning away from the light and burrowing her head in his shoulder.

"Ginny," he whispered in her ear, stroking her cheek. She murmured again sleepily and finally her eyes focused on him. The redhead smiled at him.

"Draco." She yawned widely. "Good morning."

"Did you sleep well?"

"It's odd. I forgot to take that potion last night. But I didn't have any nightmares…Maybe you have healing powers." She squinted, touching his eyebrows. "What's wrong? You seem…troubled."

He sat up, looking away from her. He had hoped his emotions hadn't shown on his face. Usually Draco had a perfect, apathetic mask, but around Ginny, it tended to slip. "Ever since the ball something's been bothering me."

"What is it?"

He stood, going to the window, not caring that the stone was cold beneath his bare feet. Outside, frozen dew covered the ground. Frost glistened on the window in a spider web pattern. The clouds were dark and heavy, looking like they might release snow at any moment. He sighed, his breath forming a puffy cloud on the glass.

"I'm not quite sure how to ask it. It's a difficult question."

Her red eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "Well, just try."

"I…" He turned to her, biting his lower lip. "It's about what happened this summer."

Understanding dawned in her eyes. She looked away from him this time. "Draco, I don't want to talk about—"

"But maybe you need to talk about it," he interrupted, sitting on the edge of the bed and resting his hand on hers. "Maybe it would help."

"I can't." She refused.

"Ginny…if you could tell me what happened that night, if you could describe those men to me, maybe I could figure out who raped you." She winced at the word rape, but he continued speaking as if he hadn't noticed. "We could take them to court and see them put in Azkaban for what they did to you."

Ginny shook her head. "I've already told the authorities what happened. Lots of times. They took notes and everything."

"Yes, but they're aurors Ginny. They haven't been on the inside of the Death Eater action. They don't know the Death Eaters backwards and forwards like I do. I could easily figure out who they were."

"Draco, I just ca—"

He took her face into his hands, staring deep into her dark brown eyes. "Ginny, please. I want to help you. I want to see those men punished for hurting you. Don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"Then tell me."

Her eyes filled with tears and her lips quivered. He felt bad for making her cry, but he couldn't back away now. "It's not easy."

"Just start from the beginning." When she gave no indication that she was going to speak, he decided to start asking questions. "How many of them were there?"

Her lips continued to quiver, but Ginny managed to clear her throat and whisper, "Four."

It was Draco's turn to wince. Four men? Four men against one helpless woman? He pushed down the anger stirring in his gut and kept his voice gentle. "Can you describe them to me?"

It took her awhile. She had to close her eyes and breathe deeply, in and out, pushing back the tears. Finally, she whispered, "They wore masks."

"Just tell me what you saw."

"Two of them…they looked a lot alike. I couldn't tell them apart really."

"We'll start with them, then."

Ginny nodded. "They were very fat men. Like giants really. They didn't talk much. I…I don't think I could tell you much more about them."

"How about their skin, eye, hair color?"

"They were white. I remember seeing their hands. I couldn't see their hair under the hoods…I don't remember their eyes."

He nodded. "And the other two?"

"They were more…memorable." She looked close to crying again.

"What do you remember about them?"

"The other three were white, but I remember one had dark brown skin. He…" She shook her head. "I can't do it. I can't say anymore." Ginny buried her head in his shirt, her body shaking, her chest heaving with silent, dry sobs. Draco was surprised that she had managed to speak for that long without crying.

Draco held her close, rocking her from side to side and rubbing her back. "I know this is hard, Ginny. Believe me, I understand. But you have to tell me. Please. Please tell me." He was practically begging now, but he didn't care. He didn't have pride anymore to care.

"I don't want to remember." Her voice was muffled by his clothes, but he managed to make out her words.

"It's alright. Nobody's going to hurt you. Nobody's going to find out, I swear. It's just you and me, and after this, I won't ask you tell me anymore. But you have to now. You have to tell me everything you can remember about them."

"He…he beat me, Draco. He…he enjoyed it. He enjoyed it more than…than that. He just liked me to be in pain." She shuddered in his arms, and Draco had to bite his lip and close his eyes to force the tears back. He held her tightly, feeling a mixture of hatred towards these men and pity for Ginny. "He…he licked…the blood off of me."

"Can you remember anything else about him?"

He felt her head shake against his chest. That left one more. The man Ginny had seen at the ball. He knew, from her reaction, that he would be the hardest one for her to talk about. "We're almost done, Ginny. I just need you to tell me about the last one."

Long minutes stretched by when she didn't say anything, just cried against his shirt, soaking it through to his skin. He let her take as long as she needed. He wished he could stop her tears, he wished he didn't have to put her through this pain, but it was the only way. The only way he could ever get these bastards back for raping Ginny.

"The leader…" she choked out, her voice thick. "He…he was the worst."

"What did he do?"

"He…talked a lot. Whispered in my ear. Disgusting." Her voice broke.

"What did he look like? Tell me anything you can remember."

"His eyes. I remember his eyes. They were blue." She shook her head. "That was all I could see of his face."

Blue eyes weren't much to go on. Hell, people could even say Draco's eyes were a bluish-grey. "Any distinguishing features? Anything that would set him apart from the other blue-eyed males at Hogwarts? A tattoo, a scar, a piercing?"

She gasped, and Draco knew he had sparked something. Some memory. He pried Ginny off of him and stared into her face, keeping eye contact. "Hey, stay with me, okay?" He didn't want her to have another nervous breakdown.

The agony in her face as she gazed up at him made his heart break. The physical pain in his chest was so intense he thought he would collapse from the weight of it. But Draco had to be strong for Ginny, so he pushed his own pain aside. He knew it was nothing compared to what she was feeling right now. "Yes," she whispered.

"Tell me," he commanded.

"He…he had…a piercing."

"What?"

"A…a hook. A spike on a hook."

"Where?"

She shook her head, unable to answer. "Th-there."

"There? Where is there, Ginny?"

Her eyes dropped down to his groin. Draco's own eyes widened in shock and disgust, and not for the first time he thought he might puke. He felt his hands clench into fists as he tried to imagine, and then wished he hadn't, the horrible agony that must have been for Ginny to feel. Not only had he forced himself onto her and into her, quite roughly Draco was sure, not only had the man stolen her of her innocence, which Draco had heard was painful the first time no matter how gentle a guy was, but he had torn and cut her up on the inside as well as the outside. The anger in Draco's gut reached its peak, and he vowed to himself, then and there, that if he ever came across that man, Draco would put him through as much pain as he had put Ginny through.

The blonde boy pulled Ginny tight against his body, wishing he could do more to help her. Wishing somehow he could undo what had happened. But he knew he couldn't. All he could do was stay true to his word and, going on what little information she had given him, find out who the men were that had raped her.

Ginny surprised him by speaking again. He had thought, after that, she wouldn't be able to say another word. "Draco?"

"Yeah, Ginny?"

"He told me…he told me it was my fault."

"What?"

"He said it was my fault they raped me. Because I was too pretty. I was a whore. They said I deserved it."

"Ginny…" Draco shook his head in disbelief.

"Were they right, Draco? Is it my fault?" She looked at him with such a pathetic, pitiful expression, Draco knew she believed it. But she wanted him to convince her otherwise, and that was at least something.

"Ginny." Draco looked into her eyes with his most intense expression. "What happened to you was not your fault." He stressed each word, hoping somehow it would get into her head, somehow she would believe it. "Those men raped you. They stole your virginity from you. You are never to blame yourself for that. Do you understand me?"

"But…"

"Ginny, they will never hurt you again. I swear to you, on my life. I swear, if I have to hunt for the rest of my life, I will find out who they were and I will make them pay. You can trust me on that."

"You don't think I'm a whore, do you Draco?"

Draco shook his head, pressing his forehead against hers. "No, Ginny. I think you're just a victim of a terrible crime. But not a whore. Never a whore."

"Why are you doing this? Why do you care so much?"

He stroked her cheek, a single tear spilling out of his eyes. "Because I'm so helplessly in love with you."

"Why? I'm used goods, remember?"

"No, Ginny. No you're not. You…you are the most beautiful, amazing, incredible creature on the earth. And I am the luckiest bastard in the world to be your friend."

"Draco. I…I don't want to remember them anymore. I want to move on. I want to live my life again. I…want to be happy."

He smiled, stroking her hair. "You will. I promise. I will make sure of that."

She laid her head against his chest, curling up in his arms. "Thank you, Draco. Thank you so much."

_No_. He thought to himself, as he stared down at the broken beauty in his arms. She was an angel. A fallen angel amongst pathetic humans like him who could never be as awe-inspiring and amazing as her. _Thank you_.


	17. Kiss

A/N: Ahh, here is chapter 17, finally! Sorry it's a bit late, but I think you guys will forgive me after you read it. Enjoy!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Will you be my favorite regret  
Could I be your sweetest mistake  
Trade one step back for two ahead  
Just a little time that's all  
Don't be afraid to fall  
This catch I won't forget  
My favorite regret

Won't you let me chip away the stone  
Are you really better off alone  
Won't you let your guard down one more time  
Just like I've done mine  
We'll look until we find something neither will forget  
My favorite regret

-My Favorite Regret by Gigolo Aunts

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

A few weeks passed quickly as Draco mulled over this new information. His mind immediately went to Slytherin when he thought of Ginny's rapists. Not all Slytherins were Death Eaters, nor all Death Eaters Slytherins, but it wasn't the preconceived prejudice that Death Eater equaled Slytherin for nothing. He mentally checked off all the people who it couldn't be, until he was left with a small pool of Slytherin males that fit the description. Assuming that Ginny's rapists were in the school, his only conclusion was that three of them were Crabbe, Goyle, and Zabini. He didn't even want to think of the possibility that it could be their fathers.

He told Ginny of his theories, and though it was comforting to put a possible name and face to the men that had hurt her, it was also very frightening for her. She took the information silently and numbly, along with his numerous warnings to be cautious around the school. To say Draco had become a bit overprotective of Ginny would be an understatement. He didn't let her go anywhere alone, walking her to class, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, even the privy and standing outside on guard. He haunted her like a shadow, though she didn't seem to mind, she even mentioned she found his constant presence comforting. When he could not walk her to class at the risk of being late to his own, he made sure she traveled in a crowd of students that included her own house, whether the Gryffindors liked her or not. And he never left her alone with a Slytherin.

Of course, they had no proof, other than a hunch, that Crabbe, Goyle, and Zabini were the right men, so they could not yet prosecute them. And even if they did have evidence, Draco could not, no matter how hard he tried, figure out who their leader was. A blue eyed male was not much to go on, even if he narrowed the house down to Slytherin. He hadn't a clue what colored eyes all the males had in his house, nor could he easily find out without putting himself and Ginny in danger. For the moment the hunt was on hold as he contemplated a way of systematically going through every male in Slytherin and finding out their eye colors. Ginny didn't seem to mind, in fact, she seemed thankful that Draco was no longer grilling her with questions.

Ginny and Draco had grown used to their new living arrangements. It was a bit difficult at first trying to work out a pattern so they didn't accidentally walk in on the other changing or annoy one another with their odd habits, but they managed. Draco set up a permanent bed on his lumpy old couch, never complaining about back or neck aches in the morning, not wanting to make Ginny feel guilty. Occasionally, when she could not sleep, had a bad dream, or felt lonely, they would sit on the couch together and stare into the fire or he would lie beside her in bed until she could fall asleep. It was nice to have her as a companion, even if a bit awkward or embarrassing at some points, especially with their odd, more than friends relationship.

That wasn't to say life was perfect. Ginny's friends and brother had still made no moves to talk to her, and though it saddened her, for the most part she enjoyed the quiet of living with only Draco. Thankfully, either no one had informed McGonagall of their arrangement or she simply hadn't found the time to pester them about it, giving them free reign to do as they pleased. He was sure it was against the rules for a male and female student, a Gryffindor and Slytherin no less, to live together, and if or when they did finally get caught there would probably be hell to pay. But for the present, it worked. Draco could keep an eye on Ginny and watch her progress. He got her to eat more, even if he had to sneak down to the kitchens with her and convince the house elves to give them leftovers to do so, and soon she was beginning to look healthy again. She slept better with his reminder for her to take a dreamless sleeping draught at night, and on those nights when she forgot it or ran out he held her and calmed her if she had nightmares. They even went outside more often, and finally freckles began to form on Ginny's pale white skin, giving her a healthy glow. The shadows under her eyes lessened, her haunted appearance lightened, and she smiled every day now.

They were walking outside that afternoon, in mid-November, and despite the frigid cold it had yet to snow. Ginny wore Draco's heated cloak and he cast extra heat spells around them just to be sure she was comfortable. They were strolling slowly along the edge of the lake at that moment, alone except for a few birds that pecked at the scarce, patched earth. The clouds were low, heavy, and dark, hanging over them like a gray blanket. The waves rhythmically lapped against the shore, blown by the periodic, chilly wind that rustled the leaves in the trees, making them fall to the earth in spirals of red, purple, brown, and orange. Ginny stood beside him, her hand in his and her body pressed against him for warmth as they stared out at the lake in silence.

That was when Draco felt something cold and wet brush his cheek. He glanced up at the sky, blinking in surprise at what he saw. Fat, slushy flakes of snow fell towards them quickly, weighed down by their melting water, swirling around in circles like the inside of a snow globe. He smiled, nudging Ginny, and told her to look did, her eyes widening in wonder, a bright smile lighting up her face. Draco forgot all about the snow as he stared instead at her. A large flake landed on the tip of her nose and her eyes crossed to stare at it, a giggle of surprise leaving her lips. A wind kicked up, blowing her hair out of her face and a flurry of snowflakes around her small body. The snow began to fall faster, sticking onto her red hair and heavy cloak, and she dropped his hand, lifting her arms and spinning in a circle. The way she acted, as if it were the most magical thing in the world, you would think she'd never seen snow before.

"Draco, it's the first snow of winter." She laughed again, pausing in her spinning to glance at him. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Beautiful," he repeated breathlessly. Draco found his feet moving without his command, shuffling him towards her as if in a trance. He reached out, grabbing her wrist, and she gave him a surprised, confused look.

"What's wrong Draco?" the redhead asked, her head tilted to the side.

Third time's the charm. Wasn't that how the saying went? "I'm sorry."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"For what?" Ginny lifted an eyebrow, trying hard not to laugh at the serious, dramatic expression on his face. What, exactly, was he talking about?

He moved forward, one, two, three steps, reaching a hand up to brush her face. His eyes were smoldering and churning with emotions—emotions she had seen before. Emotions that usually frightened her. But she did not back away. She did not turn from his touch. She felt rooted on the spot by his eyes, as if they held her down to the earth like an anchor. "For breaking my promise."

Ginny shook her head. "Draco, I'm lost. What are you talking about? What promise?"

His fingers grasped her chin, gently but firmly, so she could not move her head if she wanted to. She was nervous, but not afraid. Mostly confused. His face lowered towards hers, his breath leaving his lips in white, puffy clouds of steam. She felt that warm breath on her face, brushing her lips lightly. "I promised that I wouldn't kiss you. I apologize. I'm going to break that promise now."

Before she could even understand or contemplate what he had said, he closed he distance between them. His lips descended on hers quickly; they pressed together, gently yet roughly, as if he could not control himself. Her eyes widened in surprise as she stared up at his, which were squeezed tightly shut. For a few minutes they just stood there, him with his lips pressed against hers, her with arms limply at her sides, her brain having lost all thought processes.

And then he pulled away gently, and she felt as if he were taking her warmth with him, leaving her cold and numb. His eyes opened, sad and apologetic. He tried to laugh to lighten the mood, but it died off. "Say something, Ginny. It wasn't that horrible, was it?"

She lifted a hand to touch her lips. Then, in a trance, touched his lips with her fingers, tracing their outline. He gasped, closing his eyes, his hot breath coming out in a shudder. Her hand lowered, to his chest, and she could feel his heart racing. Draco took her hand in his, his body shaking, and again brought her fingers to his lips, kissing each one, then the palm of her hand. "Please say something," he begged, his lips brushing her hand, and he again squeezed his eyes shut, this time as if he were trying not to cry.

"No," she whispered. His face fell, and she saw a few tears slip out of his eyes. Ginny's heart swelled with warmth and she smiled, stepping forward, her body pressed into his. She lifted both her hands, holding his face. "It wasn't that horrible."

He chuckled, his lips pulling up in a smile. His hands found their way to her hips as if on reflex, and he pulled her tighter against him. "You sound so amazed. Did you expect I would be a bad kisser?"

Ginny shook her head. "No. I thought I would be."

"You're a terrific kisser." Draco laid his forehead against hers, their noses touching. "You just need practice. Lots and lots of it. I'll help you."

And then he kissed her again. This time he wasn't as gentle; he seemed more sure of himself. One of his hands tangled in her hair, holding her face against his, while the other firmly grasped her hip. Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck, and though she was surprised at her own daring, she kissed him back with the same intensity and passion.

It felt strange, kissing him. He wasn't the first boy she had snogged, but it had been so long that she had forgotten how it felt. It was strange; his lips were foreign and wet. Neither of them were particularly skilled in the art, and sometimes their noses and teeth bumped or they accidentally bit the other one's lips. But it excited her, filling her body with an extraordinary heat, making her cheeks flush bright red. When his hips brushed against hers she felt an unfamiliar tightening just below her gut. And when he pulled away to allow them both to breathe she yearned for him to return.

"Wow," he whispered breathlessly, smiling at her in wonder. "Our first kiss in the first snow of winter."

"There must be something magical about that."

Draco grinned, sighing. "Everything about you is magical, Ginny."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

They were walking back to Draco's room, still high from their kiss, when the moment was ruined. It was inevitable, Ginny and Draco couldn't have avoided them if they tried. They were in the hall, rushing towards the couple, their robes whipping around them furiously, their eyes and voices angry. Granger followed behind them, a nervous, frightened look on her face.

"Malfoy!" Weasley yelled at the same time Potter shouted "Ginny!"

Draco froze beside Ginny, unmoving. He tried to yank his hand away from hers but she held it firmly, to his surprise. The boys stopped before them, Weasley pulling out his wand and pointing it at Draco's chest. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm walking back to my room, Weasley," Draco drawled, lifting an eyebrow arrogantly and daring the boy to challenge him.

Again he was shocked when Ginny stepped between them, pushing Ron's wand out of the way. "What is the meaning of this, Ronald?"

The boy growled, his fists clenching, and Draco was afraid he would hit the small girl that stood in front of Draco protectively. "We saw you two outside of our window. Snogging!"

She lifted her chin, giving him a cold look that could kill. Draco felt pride swell in his chest when he saw her stand up for herself. Finally, she was growing a backbone after all. "And?"

"And? And?! What the bloody hell do you think you are doing kissing Malfoy?!"

"I think I have every right to kiss my own boyfriend."

Draco almost choked on the air he was breathing. Boyfriend? He stared at the little spitfire before him in astonishment. He certainly hadn't expected that. Apparently, neither had Weasley.

"Since when did you become boyfriend and girlfriend? I never said—"

"I don't need your permission to have a boyfriend, Ronald Weasley. I am seventeen years old and I have every right to date whomever I so choose, regardless of whether or not you agree with it."

"What are you thinking Ginny?! You can't date a Malfoy! He's just trying to get in your pants! Just you wait until Mother hears of this!"

"I hope you tell Mum!" The girl yelled back at him, standing toe to toe and nose to nose with her brother, showing no signs of backing down. "At least she would have heart enough to accept that he loves me!"

Time seemed to slow to a stop. Ron Weasley stared between his little sister and Draco in astonishment. He shook his head in disbelief, trying to understand what she had said. Obviously, the word 'love' had thrown him off. When someone spoke again, it was neither Ron Weasley nor Ginny.

"Ginny, I love you," whispered Harry. They all turned to look at the raven haired wonder boy in surprise. His expression was hurt and confused. Ron backed away from Ginny, giving Harry room to step forward and lay a hand on the girl's cheek. "You told me you loved me."

Ginny's shoulders drooped as the anger flooded out of her. She stared sadly at her ex-boyfriend. "I did, Harry. I mean…I do…"

Draco's heart clenched painfully. He felt breathless, as if he had taken a kick to the chest. He wanted to disappear then. Wanted a hole to open up in the ground and swallow him whole. But he couldn't move, could only listen and stare with a breaking heart, and remind himself that this was to be expected. Ginny belonged with the golden hero, after all. She could never be with a loser like him.

"You're like a brother to me, Harry. And I will always love you. But I'm not in love with you." Ginny shook her head sadly.

"But…" The boy couldn't seem to accept her rejection. "But I love you. Despite everything that happened to you, I still love you."

Ginny pulled away from him, a surprised, hurt expression on her face. Potter tried to find what he had said wrong, but he obviously came up with nothing. Draco, however, caught it immediately. Despite everything that happened to you. As if it was a chore for him to love her. As if his love was a gift that she should be thankful for.

Draco expected Ginny to become angry. Hell, he felt pissed. He expected her to lash out, to hit the boy for his careless but biting comment. But she did none of these things. She merely shook her head. "That's the difference between you and Draco, Harry. You love me despite my problems, but Draco loves me because of them."

And then she turned to Draco, smiling up at him, and took his hand. She pulled him forward, he still felt like a stone statue, unable to move, and past the boys. She didn't glance back at them, but Draco did. He saw Potter and Weasley staring after them in shock and hurt, but Granger stood off by herself, a proud smile on her face. Their eyes met and she nodded at him before Ginny pulled him around the corner.

Draco didn't remember the walk back to their room. He felt as if he was in a trance, and he let her lead him. He finally seemed to wake up when they were back inside, Ginny sitting him down on the couch and going to the fireplace, stirring up the dying embers to warm the room. Draco watched her fluid movements in awe, trying to comprehend all that had happened. Finally, she paused when she felt his eyes on her.

"What?" she bit out. He smiled at her and she softened her tone. "Sorry. What?"

Draco shook his head, shrugging. "Just…wow."

She gave him a confused glance, sitting on the edge of the couch beside him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just shocked by you is all."

"Why do you say that?"

Draco grinned. "You stood up for me. You stood up to your brother. For me. And what's more, you turned down Harry Potter. No girl would ever turn down Harry Potter."

Ginny sat back in the couch, laying her head against his shoulder. "I don't love Harry anymore. I don't know that I ever did, really. I think what I felt for him last year was just nothing more than hero worship. It's…" She paused.

"What? It's what?" He asked, leaning forward. "You were going to say something."

Ginny blushed, her cheeks turning a beautiful bright pink. "What I felt for Harry…It's nothing like what I feel for you." She stared down at her hands in embarrassment.

Draco smiled, lifting her face. "Oh? Are you saying you're in love with me, Ginny?"

"Maybe," she teased, her lips brushing his.

"I'm not a hero, you know? I'll never be like golden boy Potter."

Ginny tilted her head to the side. "Why do you say that? You saved me." She brushed his cheek with her hand.

"All I'm saying is, don't make me out to be a good guy. I'm not."

"Well, you don't make me out to be a stupid girl, then, Draco. I know you're no Harry Potter, but you're not Voldemort either."

He pulled back in astonishment, lifting an eyebrow. "You said his name. Without flinching."

"I am afraid of many things, but a name is not one of them."

"Why not?"

Ginny put a hand on his chest, looking up into his eyes. "The same reason I'm not afraid of yours."

And then she leaned forward, pulling him into another searing kiss.


	18. Confessions

A/N: Chapter 18, finally! Sorry about the almost week and a half wait since the last chapter, but I've been super busy with it almost being finals and all. Well, here it is, enjoy.

(I searched and searched for the lyrics to this song online and all of them were wrong. They all wanted to capitalize the F in father, which would make it religious, and as far as I know the song is talking about his actual birthfather, or at least that's my interpretation. Also, they wanted to put "On your birthday" in the line "Oh you gave birth to," which definitely isn't right…I dunno. If my corrected lyrics are wrong, please let me know).

Until next time, enjoy!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

How do you tell your father  
That you want him to notice you  
Why does this seem like such a bother  
When mom says you'd be better off dead  
But I want to see you  
I still want to see you  
Oh would you call me  
Oh it's not hard too  
I'm the first one  
Oh you gave birth to  
And oh would you write me  
On my birthday  
Graduation was yesterday  
Yesterday  
Oh…

-Angel by Blue October

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

It didn't take Draco long to make his decision. The longer they waited, the longer the men who had raped Ginny were roaming free to hurt other women or to come after her again. It was almost winter break and she would be returning to her parents soon. It would be the opportune time to take Blaise Zabini, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe to court. But without solid evidence, and not knowing whom the other rapist was, they would never have a solid case.

Draco knew what he had to do. He had to sneak back into Malfoy Manor, a place he had hoped never to see again in his lifetime. He had thought, when he'd run away that summer, that he had left Lucius's home and his prison behind him, but it was inevitable that he must return. Draco knew Lucius, and he knew that he would keep records of every Death Eater somewhere in his office. If he could just find those records and show that Goyle, Crabbe, and Zabini were on them, he would have proof that they were Death Eaters. And if he was lucky, he might even discover who their leader was.

Ginny was adamant about him not going. She tried relentlessly to talk him out of it, fearing for his life if he were caught by Lucius. She begged and pleaded with him not to go there, but he merely shook his head and held her close.

"Ginny," Draco whispered in her ear. "Don't you want to see the men who hurt you punished?"

His girlfriend lifted her sad face up to look at him. Draco smoothed the creases in her forehead. "Of course I do, but I don't want you to get hurt because of me. I couldn't possibly live with myself if you did."

"He won't catch me. He won't even know I was there," Draco assured her for what must have been the hundredth time. He cupped her face in his hands and leaned down to plant a kiss on her lips.

She turned her face away from him and went to the window, her arms wrapped around her body from the winter's chill. "No. I won't kiss you if that's what you need to leave me."

Draco slumped against the wall with a sigh, running his hands through his hair. "Did anyone ever tell you how stubborn you are?"

Ginny turned to him with a confused look. "Why do you say that?"

"Because I always have to steal my kisses from you."

She gave him a look that showed she obviously didn't think he was funny. "This is no time to joke around, Draco. For all I know, you're leaving me to go to your death."

"How many times do I have to assure you I will come back?" Draco smiled, pushing away from the wall and wrapping his arms around her. He touched her lips lightly. "After all, you owe me a kiss now. I'm going to come back for it."

"And if you don't?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "If I'm not back by dawn, alert the Headmistress and have her send a whole fleet of Aurors in to get me. There, are you happy now?"

Ginny nodded, though she still pouted. Draco leaned his forehead on hers for a moment, then turned away, grabbing his cloak and disappearing out the door. He quickly made his way outside and to the edge of the Forbidden Forest where the wards on Hogwarts ended and he could apparate away. He arrived at the edge of Malfoy Manor, just outside the wrought iron gate, his nerves on end. The boy could see lights on inside some of the rooms, which meant either Lucius or Narcissa were home, or both. Fresh snow was falling, which was good because it would cover his tracks by morning.

Draco undid the wards on the gate and pushed it open slowly. He cautiously made his way up to the Manor at a crouch, pulling out his broom and unshrinking it. His father's office was on the third floor in the East Wing. Draco flew up to it, again undoing the traps and alarms, and made his way into the large office. The embers were still red in the fireplace, so his father had been in there at least a few hours ago, but it didn't appear he would return. Books of Dark Magic lined the walls, many of them more for decoration than for actual reading. His father's desk sat against one of the walls, clear of any mess except for a candle, feather, and inkwell. Besides a few sofas scattered throughout the room, none of which had probably ever been sat on, it was fairly empty.

Draco made his way to the desk, unlocking the top drawer and rummaging through it. He lit the candle and groped through the papers, most of which were orders from Voldemort or financial records. Draco moved on to the second drawer, again finding nothing, though he did pocket a few hundred galleons his father had hidden in there. Draco was looking through the third of the six drawers when something heavy slammed into his head, sending him sprawling.

He was both blind and deaf for what felt like minutes as panic began to sink in. His hearing returned before his vision did, and he listened blindly to his father talking. "Draco, Draco, Draco," Lucius drawled, "What a disappointment. I thought I'd taught you better. You slipped past the wards on the grounds and the house, but you forgot about the ones on my desk. Surely you knew I would lock up my most prized possessions." Draco tried to blink, tried to see, but still he was in darkness. How hard had his father hit him? "I do wonder, though, what were you doing rummaging through my desk? What did you hope to find?" Draco felt himself lifted off of the ground by his shirt. "Well?" He pulled his lips up in what he hoped was a grin and spit out blood, hoping it landed on his father's immaculate clothes. "No matter then," he heard the calculated anger in Lucius's voice. "I will beat it out of you."

Without his vision, Draco's other senses were heightened, and he could feel the painful blow of his father's cane with even more intensity than he ever had before. He tried to raise up onto his hands and knees and another strike sent him back to the ground. Draco curled in a ball and braced himself as blow after blow wracked his body. The teenager had long ago lost track of time, it was probably only minutes that he lay there as his father beat him, but it felt as if hours had passed. Slowly his vision returned to him, and when he could finally see again his father was grabbing and lifting him off of the ground once more.

The man's face was menacing in the flickering candle light. His grin looked like that of a skull's, the shadows playing gruesome tricks in Draco's eyes. Draco noticed the blood dripping off of his cane, and hoped nothing was broken. There was so much pain throbbing through his body he couldn't mentally pick out what was injured and what wasn't. Ironically, the only thing he could think was that Ginny was going to kill him now.

"Do not think I will let you leave now boy," Lucius spat.

His voice came out strained. "Do not think you can make me stay."

Lucius flung Draco to the ground with a twist of his wrist, and he barely managed to avoid hitting his head on the fireplace. Draco's hand landed in the hot coals, but he did not scream. Biting his lip, he grabbed a fistful in his hand, trying to ignore the feel of his skin burning and blistering. As his father moved to bring the cane down once more, Draco rolled out of the way, throwing the coals blindly. He thanked Merlin when the embers landed in Lucius's eyes, making him scream and fall backwards.

Draco had to move fast. The man was already getting up, and now he was livid. If he didn't manage to escape now, Lucius would surely beat him to death. The boy grabbed the first thing he saw, the fireplace poker, and forced himself to his feet, ignoring the screaming protest from his muscles. He stabbed his father in the calf, then, in one swift movement, swung the metal rod across the man's temples. His father fell to the ground unconscious, and though Draco wanted to beat him senseless, wanted to kill him then and there, he knew he couldn't stay conscious for much longer. He was sure Lucius had given him a concussion, and he had to get back to Ginny. Forgetting all about his original intentions, Draco remembered only to grab his wand and broom before he collapsed out of the window. He nearly plummeted to the ground, barely managing to right his broom and swoop low over the grass, nearly falling off multiple times. He hardly remembered the trip back to Hogwarts, only that he kept picturing Ginny's anxious face in his mind and hearing her voice calling out to him.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny had been so worried she had exhausted herself, and a few minutes after Draco left she fell asleep in the window sill, staring out over the grounds where she had watched him apparate away. She nearly fell out of the window, startling herself awake, when she heard the door rattling. Ginny stood, staring over at the clock on the wall as she ran into the classroom. He had been gone nearly two hours, but she was just happy he was back safe and sound.

She opened the door and was shocked when a heavy mass fell on her, almost knocking her to the floor. Ginny lifted Draco's dead weight in her arms and stared in horror at his face. It was black and blue and red, marred by cuts and bruises. The rest of his body was equally as broken, and she didn't miss how matted and sticky his hair was on the side of his head. Draco blinked slowly, staring up at her face and lifting a hand to touch it. She flinched away from it when she saw that it was blistered and burned. His bloody lips pulled up in a smile. "I…told you I'd come back."

She shook her head, heaving him to his feet. Together they made their way into their room, Ginny sitting him down gently on the sofa, noting how many times he winced and groaned in pain. "Draco…what the bloody hell happened to you?"

He sighed, laying his head back on the sofa and letting his eyes slip shut. She had to shake him to keep him awake. "My father. Caught me…Beat me. I'm sorry, Ginny. I failed you. I…"

"I don't care about that. I care about you. You're in a really bad shape, Draco. Let me go get the nurse."

He grabbed her hand with surprising strength, stopping her. "No!" Draco's voice was firmer and more conscious now. "No. She'll ask questions."

"Well, I have to get you some help."

He shook his head. "I'll be fine. I can heal most of the cuts. Just not tonight. I'm too tired."

"Draco, you're in a lot of pain. At least let me go get Snape."

He laughed, though it ended in a fit of painful coughs. "Do you even know where Snape's rooms are?"

The girl shook her head. "No, but—"

Her boyfriend put a finger on her lips. "Go over to the desk. The bottom left hand drawer. There are a bunch of potions. Get anything for pain that you can find. Also get the bruise balm and the healing salve." Ginny did as she was told, handing Draco the pain potions. After he drank them he seemed more awake and alert, which was good. "Do you know any healing spells?" She shook her head. "Alright. Just help me get my shirt off."

Ginny did, wincing when she saw the multitude of cuts and bruises on his chest. His ribs were blue and purple, and his back didn't look much better. She placed a finger on a long, thin, but deep cut that ran across his chest, closing her eyes. For a moment Ginny swayed back and forth on her heels, caught in a memory, but Draco's voice suddenly cut into her thoughts, startling her.

"I almost killed him," he whispered. She opened her eyes, giving him a quizzical glance. He wasn't looking at her, but rather through her. Seeing something she couldn't. "I knocked him out with the fireplace poker. He was completely helpless. I stood over him, holding it like a sword, and I contemplated killing him, right then and there. Just ramming it straight through his heart and ending it all."

"What do I do about the cuts?" she whispered, for lack of anything better to say. "I can't heal these."

Draco nodded to a tube of something in the pile of healing potions and balms. "If you don't mind getting blood on your fingers. Put a little of that on your finger and run it across the cut and it'll seal up."

"It won't clean it up though. What do I do about all the blood?"

He shrugged. "I usually just wash it off in the shower the next chance I get." He noticed her grimace and chuckled, though it caused him to wince. "Not as vain as I used to be, huh? If you really care that much. Aguamenti." He pointed his wand at an empty bowl she had eaten her dinner out of earlier that evening. A jet of water left his wand, filling it up. "There should be some washcloths over with my toiletries."

Ginny occupied herself with washing all of the cuts and sealing them up. She tried to be as gentle as she could, but some of them were pretty nasty, and he hissed in pain and grabbed her hand to stop her on more than one occasion. Draco broke the silence again with his musings. "I didn't always used to hate him so much. I actually used to love him once upon a time. I idolized, almost worshipped him." He shook his head with a sigh. "I was so young and naive and my father…he was so strong and powerful and sophisticated. He was everything I wanted to be when I reached his age. Attractive, rich, arrogant, powerful, respected. I copied everything he did like a clone." The blonde boy laid his head back, staring up at the ceiling. "That's why I always acted so rude and conceited around you and your family. I looked down on you because my father did. Because, according to him, you were the opposite of everything I wanted to be. But I never realized how wrong I was."

"Turn around," Ginny murmured. Although she listened to everything Draco said, she felt as if she heard it through a thick blanket of wool. She was in a trance tracing the cuts on his skin with her finger, mesmerized by the way they magically mended themselves shut. The salve she put on his cuts left the faintest red line that would heal in a few weeks, not like her own deep white scars, which would never disappear. Draco gave her his back to begin healing.

"I never realized that our relationship was just as shallow as my father was. He never loved me. I was his firstborn son, his only child, but he saw me only as a tool. He used me just like he uses everything and everyone. I was to be his heir and the Dark Lord's most prized asset. He began teaching me, before I could even walk, how to be a Death Eater. It was my destiny from birth.

"I always strived to please him in everything I did. I tried to fulfill the destiny given to me, tried to be his heir, tried to win his affection and love by doing everything that he asked of me without question, and even enjoying it. I reveled in the idea of being a Death Eater and Voldemort's right hand man when my father passed. I wanted nothing more of my life. It was my highest goal. I'm not exactly sure when that all changed. I can't place my finger on any one single moment. I just began to feel, as the years passed…uneasy. A sense of foreboding. And a rebellion in me. I didn't want to be like my father any longer, though I wasn't sure why. I certainly didn't want to be a Harry Potter or anything, though I did wish for his fame and adoration. I just wanted…more. More than the life that had been served to me on a silver platter from birth.

"And that was when I realized, when I tried to defy my destiny, just how paper thin my relationship with my father was. How it could change in an instant. I went from his project, his clone in the making, to his enemy. He lashed out at me. He beat me relentlessly. I still found myself trying to please him, but now it was out of fear, not admiration. And any slightest mistake I made was a reason for him to attack. Soon, despite my fear, I grew to hate him and resent my birthright. And it finally all snapped when I discovered they had set a date for my coronation without telling me. So I ran away. I don't think I could have survived though if it hadn't been for…"

Ginny finally pulled her eyes away from the smooth skin of his back long enough to look up at his face. She had long since finished healing him and for a while now had simply been staring at his skin, tracing patterns with her fingertips, and listening to his story. When she looked up, though, she realized he was staring at her.

"You," he whispered, touching her face. "You helped me survive after I ran away."

"Me?"

Draco stood, going to his desk and pulling open the drawer. He rummaged around in it for a few minutes before pulling out some parchment. As he brought it closer, she realized it was a newspaper clipping, or two rather. Draco placed it before her and Ginny stared in shock. One was a picture of her when she was fifteen years old. She couldn't remember when or where the photo was taken, but she was happy and vibrant and healthy, grinning from ear to ear. Freckles were scattered across her nose, her eyes were bright and cheerful, her smile was innocent and naïve. The other picture she did remember taking. Rita Skeeter had insisted on having a picture for her interview and Ginny had let her take one, just a single one, in her tent that night. The contrast was so sharp between the two, if it hadn't been her own self she would think they were two different people. Her eyes were dark and haunted and shadowed, her skin pallid, despite the fact that it was summer, her cheeks sunken, and she hid behind her hair like a shield. Ginny stared between the two pictures for a long time before Draco finally spoke.

"I had been planning on running away all summer. After my father tried to make me kill Dumbledore and Snape and I escaped…I didn't want to go back home, but it was my father's money that saved me from a lifetime in Azkaban and got me back into Hogwarts, and I had no choice but to go back to the manor with him. He beat me relentlessly this summer for my failure and for running away from him. I planned and I planned, picturing every detail of my runaway. But I never acted. And then…then I found out about the coronation. I had no choice but to flee." He sat down beside Ginny on the couch, holding his hands in hers. "But I never really planned for the aftermath. For what I would do once I escaped. I had nowhere to go and no friends and no ties to the world, and for a while I just gave up hope. But then I found out about your rape, just days before I had run away, and I know I'd done the right thing in leaving. I didn't want to be a rapist or a murderer."

Draco touched the pictures lightly. "It was purely chance that I saw you in the hospital that night. Do you remember?" She nodded. Of course she did. "But from that instant that I laid eyes on you…I don't want to scare you Ginny, but…I became obsessed with you. With what happened to you. I felt so guilty, even though I knew it wasn't my fault. Guilty for even being associated with the Death Eaters. Guilty for ever having wanted to be one. And I felt such hatred for them, even though I knew there was nothing I could do about it. And I just…became infatuated. I searched every newspaper for more information about you. I read all the articles, even Rita Skeeter's crap, and cut out these pictures of you. Stupid, huh? You must really think I'm a creep."

Ginny touched his face lightly. While something like this might have scared her before, for some reason it didn't anymore. Perhaps she had suspected it all along. Perhaps she had always known he'd had feelings for her. She just had to accept her own for him before she could ever be comfortable with such sincere but frightening honesty. "It wasn't all chance, was it Draco?"

He shook his head, smiling. "No. Your detention wasn't, that's for sure. I had Snape set it up so I'd watch you. And neither was our meeting in the hallway when you discovered I wasn't a Death Eater. I was following you when I saw you run out of the Great Hall. The meeting on the train _was_ chance, though, truly. But, I admit, most of the other stuff…I wasn't always doing the most honorable thing when I confronted you."

"Like what?"

He licked his lips nervously, a blush forming on his cheeks. "When you tried to drown yourself in the bath. I'd…I'd been watching you. For a long time."

Ginny found herself blushing as well. "Oh." She'd wondered at that very possibility, but had put it out of her mind.

"And…" He suddenly became very interested in the sight of their hands intertwined. "I might have…invaded your thoughts once or twice."

She gave him a skeptical look. "What?"

He swallowed hard. "I looked in on your dreams one night when you were having a nightmare. It was…frightening. And horrible. I nearly threw up. And I…I used Imperius on you and commanded you to stop having a nightmare. I didn't have any dreamless sleeping draughts on hand."

"You used an Unforgiveable on me?"

"Well, when you say it like that it sounds a lot worse."

"Why are you telling me all of this now?"

He sighed. "I'm not really sure. I suppose I was in the process of spilling all and it just…kind of came out. Wish I'd kept my bloody mouth shut now though."

Ginny shook her head, rolling her eyes. "I should be mad at you. I should be pissed in fact."

"No, you should be running screaming from the room if you were sane."

Ginny laid her head on his shoulder, yawning tiredly. "For some reason, though, I'm really not surprised. Neither am I all that upset about it. I suppose everything about our relationship seemed a little bit too…"

"Convenient?"

She nodded. "And honestly, if you hadn't put so much effort in, if you hadn't kept relentlessly pursuing me—"

"More like stalking—"

"I would still be like her," Ginny pointed to the recent picture of herself. "I'd like to think I've come a ways since then."

He nodded. "A _long_ way."

"So, I suppose I should say thank you." Ginny smiled to herself. "Oh yeah. I owe you a kiss." She leaned forward, planting one on his lips. They kissed for a long time before they broke apart. "But one thing, Draco."

"Yeah?"

"No more peeking into my head, please? And no more casting Unforgiveables on me either."

He nodded. "Can do."

Ginny took his marred hand in her own. "Now, let's do something about those burns."


	19. Surprises

A/N: Many different events caused this long-awaited chappie to be delayed, from my computer acting screwy to finals to x-mas to my boyfriend's visit, but I finally forced myself to sit down and take a break from packing to leave just when I thought my winter break would slow down a bit to go to North Carolina or some such. Anyway, I digress. Here it is, chapter 19. Read and enjoy!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful  
Stop me and steal my breath  
Emeralds from mountains thrust toward the sky  
Never revealing their depth

Tell me that we belong together  
Dress it up with the trappings of love  
I'll be captivated  
I'll hang from your lips  
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

I'll be your crying shoulder  
I'll be love suicide  
I'll be better when I'm older  
I'll be the greatest fan of your life

-I'll Be by Edwin Mccain

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"I'm nervous," Ginny whispered, clutching Draco's hand.

"Calm down," he soothed her, stroking her hair. "I'm the one who's supposed to be nervous here."

"What if they say no? What if they make you leave?"

"Would your parents turn me out into the cold on Christmas eve?"

She shook her head. "No…I suppose not…but do you really have to wait that long?"

"It's only three days away, Ginny. I think you can last three days without me." He winked, making her blush. "Besides, I have some financial issues to take care of. I'll see you on Christmas eve, I promise." He glanced over her shoulder. "Your brother is glaring daggers at me. If looks could kill…" He gave her a quick peck on the lips before disappearing around the train. Ginny followed her parents to the Ministry car they had borrowed for the ride home.

Three days can pass excruciatingly slowly when you're sitting at home in a room full of people missing your boyfriend. The festive holiday decorations, the brightly lit Christmas tree, the red and gold sweaters everywhere, only felt suffocating to her. Seeing all of the smiling faces of her friends and family made her long even more for the one person that could make her feel any joy anymore. It was winter break, she was home with her parents, five of her six brothers, Hermione, and Harry, although it was a bit awkward being in such close quarters with her ex-boyfriend, and she was miserable.

Her parents seemed upset that she was so depressed and quiet during the holidays, but they didn't comment. After all, the last time they had seen her was at the end of summer, and they hadn't been around for the past six months to notice how happy Draco made her. Only Hermione was sensitive to Ginny's depression, and she was also the only one who knew about Draco coming to visit on Christmas, and, if Ginny could convince her parents, to stay at the Burrow for the rest of winter break. Hermione was the only thing that kept Ginny calm and collected, when the girl felt as if she were torn by so many different emotions she would split into a hundred pieces.

There was a knock on the door, and the room went quiet. They were sitting around the tree opening presents; it was a tradition at the Burrow to open one present the night before Christmas and the rest the next morning. Ginny had managed to finally stuff an especially unruly chocolate frog into her mouth, but froze, the thing still hopping around, when she heard the knock. No one was expecting it, not even Ginny, who thought Draco would floo into the Burrow, but she recovered the quickest, chewing up her chocolate and jumping to her feet. "I'll get it."

Her mother noted, "If they're carolers, give them some hot tea."

"I don't think that's a caroler," Ginny heard Hermione whisper under her breath.

"Wot do you mean?" Ron asked, lifting an eyebrow. He turned to glance skeptically at Ginny, but the girl had already disappeared into the hallway. Ginny yanked the door open, letting in a gust of wind and a flurry of snowflakes from outside. Light spilled out of the house and onto the pale, shivering boy who stood in the snow at her doorstep. Draco tried to give her a smile, but his teeth chattered so hard she was afraid they would break. "Gonna…l-let me in? It's b-bloody c-c-cold out here."

Ginny stepped away from the door, letting Draco into the house, and pushed it shut behind him. He stood shivering in the hallway, melting snow dripping off of his clothes and forming a puddle under him. "Got a fire going around here anywhere?"

She glanced at the door down the hallway. "Yeah…all of my family is in there…"

"Ginny, I just hiked half a kilometer in the snow. I really just want to thaw out my numb fingers right now. I think those icicles outside on your house are cozier than me."

"Half a kilometer? Why? Why didn't you just floo?"

"After what happened with my father a few weeks ago? You know he's searching for me more now than ever. He would have killed me if he'd had the chance, and I've slipped through his fingers for the second time. Floo and apparation can both be tracked easily, especially if you have Death Eater training."

"So how did you get here?" She helped him peel off his wet cloak, shoes, and scarf. Ginny observed it wasn't the warm, charmed cloak Draco usually wore, but she put it out of her head.

"Knight Bus. I had them drop me off at the little Muggle town nearby here and walked the rest of the way."

"I'm sure they would have taken you right to our door if you'd asked."

Draco smiled, touching Ginny's chin. "You never know who you can trust these days, Gin." He glanced over at the closed living room door. "So, about that fire?"

Ginny took a deep breath, steeling herself, and rested her hand on the door handle. "Maybe I should go in first. Give them warning?"

"Hurry up. I'd like to feel my nose again sometime…Please."

Ginny nodded, cracking the door open and squeezing in, shutting it behind her. A few faces glanced up, though most ignored her. Molly spoke. "I didn't hear any carolers. Who was it Ginny?"

Ginny swallowed hard, glancing over at Hermione, who gave her an encouraging smile and a nod. "It wasn't a caroler. It was someone for me."

"Oh? Who?" Now everyone in the room was staring at her.

"A friend from school. To stay with us over the break, if it's alright with you. I know I should have asked earlier, but I didn't want you to…say no." Ginny chose her words carefully to avoid Draco's name or the pronoun he.

"Well, don't leave your friend standing all alone outside. Invite her in." Arthur Weasley chimed in.

"Umm…maybe I should tell you first—"

"Don't be rude now, Ginny. You're leaving your guest out in the hallway. She'll think we're bad hosts." Molly set aside her knitting and stood to greet Ginny's unexpected visitor.

"If you insist…" she whispered, pulling the door open. Draco stepped into the room, and pandemonium erupted. Arthur jumped to his feet, though he could do no more than stare. Molly, who had been standing, nearly fell back into the chair in a faint. Fred and George's eyes widened simultaneously, then they burst into laughter, expecting Ginny was pulling some kind of prank. Harry yanked out his wand, casting a spell at Draco that the boy just barely managed to dodge. Ron, too shocked to think of spells, threw himself at Ginny's boyfriend with raised fists, and it took both Charlie and Bill to hold him back. Hermione's only reaction was to turn the page in the book she was reading.

Finally, Arthur spoke. "Ginny…what…what is the meaning of this? Bringing a Death Eater into our house?! A whole fleet of them could be headed this way for Harry. We must leave at once."

"Dad, he's not here for Harry—"

"I knew I should have told Mum and Dad about this! This has gone on long enough, Ginny! Mum, Dad, I tried to stop her…"

"You knew about this, Ronald?"

"Yes! She's been hanging out with that…that…Death Eater! for weeks now! I caught him snogging with her the other day! He's possessed her or something! Put some sort of love spell on her!"

"Hey! Nobody's been possessed!" Ginny interjected. "And he isn't a Death Eater!" She grabbed Draco's arm, ripping up his sleeve and thrusting it into Ron's face. He stared blankly at the smooth, unblemished skin.

"He's covered it up!"

Ginny through her hands up in the air. "You are being ridiculous! Mum, Dad, Draco is my _boyfriend_. I invited him to stay—"

Ginny stopped when he put a hand on her shoulder, glancing curiously up at Draco, who smiled at her. "It's alright, I can defend myself."

The redhead bit her lip nervously, looking at her shocked parents, before nodding and backing down. Draco stepped past Ron, ignoring both him and Harry, and up to her parents, holding out his hand. "Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. I apologize for barging in so unexpectedly," he glance around at the wrapping paper on the floor, "and for not bringing gifts, but I just spent my last sickle in the world and I have nowhere else to go. What Wea—your son said is true, I have been seeing your daughter for months now, and I did kiss her. Many times. And what Ginny said is true. I am not a Death Eater, I have fully rejected the Death Eater lifestyle and my family, and she is the only person in the world that matters to me. But I understand if, for safety reasons, you want to turn me away, as I would probably do the same in your position. I only ask that you consider her happiness, and that, if you do ask me to leave, you at least accept my proposal."

"Well, that was a very nice speech, Mr. Malfoy."

"Father, you can't honestly fall for all of that shit he dished out to you! He's a bloody liar and a—"

"Ronald!" Ginny was just as shocked as Ron by her father's suddenly severe tone. "You will not be rude in front of our guest."

"But—"

"Leave the room. Your mother, Ginny, Mr. Malfoy, and I have some things to discuss, and that discussion does not involve any of you. Everyone out."

Bill and Charlie were the first to stand, practically carrying a fuming Ron and Harry up the stairs. Hermione marked her page and grabbed Fred and George, still grinning from ear to ear, and toted them up after the four other boys. Ginny and Draco were left alone with her parents.

"Mum, Dad…"

"Sit down by the fire, dear. You're soaking wet and you must be freezing to death. Would you like me to make you some tea?"

She was pleasantly surprised by her mother's strange hospitality, but Draco graciously accepted the offer. Ginny sat beside him in the loveseat, holding his hand for strength, while her father sat across from them. As Molly made the tea the room was silent and uncomfortable, but finally he spoke. "You say he is your boyfriend, Ginny?"

The redhead nodded. "Yes, Daddy."

"How come I haven't heard of him before? You scarcely write letters anymore, and you never mentioned him in the few we received."

"I suppose it all happened so quickly. Or maybe so slowly. I don't know. We were friends for a long time. We just recently…" she trailed off awkwardly.

"And does he make you happy?"

Ginny smiled, nodding. That was an easy question to answer. "Yes, Daddy. He makes me very, very happy."

Arthur turned his questions to Draco. "What are your feelings for my daughter, Mister Malfoy?"

"I love her, sir." Draco said it so comfortably and easily, Molly nearly dropped the tea tray she was carrying.

"And what are your intentions with her?"

He grinned, staring into Ginny's eyes. "To make her happy. I live each day only to see her smile."

"That's very noble of you. Are you aware, Mr. Malfoy, of my daughter's…condition?"

Draco's face became solemn. "Yes sir. That is what I have come to speak to you about, other than, of course, my lodgings. I have spent all of my money sir, down to the last sickle, even sold my broom and the cloak off of my back, to hire you the finest lawyer in London. I just met with him today and he has agreed to take Ginny's case and defend her in court against her rapists."

Arthur and Molly glanced at each other in disbelief. Finally, Arthur whispered, "We would have to know who her rapists are first."

Draco nodded. "We have reason to believe that three of her four rapists are Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, and Blaise Zabini. We have no solid evidence against them yet besides Ginny's eyewitness testimony, but he is working on gathering more evidence as we speak. With any luck, we should be able to take them to court within a week, before the end of the holidays at the latest."

Arthur sat back in his seat, lifting an eyebrow. "That quickly?"

"I told you, sir. He is very good."

"And how will we pay for this? If we lose?" Ginny's Mum whispered to Arthur worriedly.

He shook his head. "Everything has been paid for. And we won't lose."

"Why are you doing all of this, Mister Malfoy?"

Draco glanced again at Ginny, brushing her hair out of her face. "Because. They deserve as much pain and suffering as they can get for what they did to Ginny. I hope they get the Kiss, but I will settle for nothing less than a lifetime in Azkaban for their sins."

"Well…have you eaten, Draco?" Molly asked, always eager to feed a guest.

"I am not hungry, Mrs. Weasley." She looked crestfallen. "But…I would love some more hot tea."

Molly jumped to her feet to get him some. "Well, Ginny, what do you think about Percy's old room?"

"Daddy?"

"A bit dusty, but I think it'll be alright for tonight." Ginny's face lit up in a grin and she jumped up, hugging her father around the middle. "Oh, thank you, Daddy! Thank you!"

"Yes, well, I'll go have a talk with your brothers and Harry, fill them in on the new arrangements. Might want to lock your door tonight, just in case, Draco." Arthur winked at the boy. "I think after I get through with them Ron and Harry will grudgingly leave you be, but Fred and George like to play pranks on fresh meat."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny awoke to the feel of someone running his hands through her hair. She opened her eyes slowly, noticed how cold it was in the room, and snuggled up against the boy who lay next to her on top of the covers. "You're so beautiful when you sleep. So…peaceful. I couldn't stand not sleeping in the same room as you these last few nights."

"I couldn't stand not _being_ in the same room as you." She lifted up to plant a quick kiss on his lips, but it soon became a long, drawn out, romantic one that took her breath away, as Draco's always did.

"I missed that too." He laid his forehead on hers, sighing contently.

"So you really sold your broom and your cloak, huh?"

"Yup. The cloak fetched a nice price, actually. That heating charm on it is expensive."

"Just for me?"

He grimaced. "I want to see those bastards go to Azkaban for what they did, Ginny. Don't you?"

She nodded. "But this means I'll have to face them in court. I'll really have to declare to the world what they did to me. And I'll have to sit in front of them and speak with them in the same room as me. Just meters from me. What if I can't do it?"

Draco held her face in his hand. "You're strong, Ginny. You'll do fine. You can stand up to them. You have to. It's the only way you can get over what they did to you." He bit his lip. "Let's not think about that right now. Right now is supposed to be a happy time. Let's go open your presents, okay, love?"

Ginny nodded and forced herself out of her warm bed, yanking on a heavy cloak over her nightgown. She and Draco made their way downstairs to the living room, where most of the family was already gathered in different states of wakefulness and dress. It didn't take long, though, for the rest of the Weasley clan to stumble downstairs and begin opening gifts. Ginny received hers guiltily, feeling bad that there were none for Draco, and thanked each person in turn. A book of spells from Hermione, a box of different candies from Harry, Weasley Wizard Wheeze's newest merchandise, most not yet tested, from Fred and George, a dragon's tooth from Charlie, some new earrings from Bill, and of course, a red knit sweater from her Mum and Dad.

But Ginny was pleasantly surprised when she found an extra gift at the bottom of the pile with Draco's name on it. She handed it to the boy, who almost gave it to Ron, expecting it was his, but on second glance saw his name scrawled in her mother's handwriting. "For me? Are you sure?"

"Open it, dear," Molly commanded with a nod.

Draco tentatively undid the wrapping paper, expecting some sort of prank from her brothers, and stared in shock at the contents. "Well? Hold it up." The boy lifted a large, green knit sweater with a silver D in the middle.

Ginny burst into giggles. "Mum? Did you have to?"

"It's tradition. Everybody gets one."

"Honestly, he's going to think we're a bunch of nutcases." But when Ginny turned to look back at Draco, he was still staring with an open mouth at the sweater.

"You…you made this?" he asked Molly.

"I'm pretty fast with a knitting needle. I had half a one made already, I just changed the color thread from red to green and put a D on it for you."

"Mum knits an extra every Christmas. Just in case Percy ever comes home…Why are you so surprised? Haven't you ever gotten a gift for Christmas before?"

He shook his head. "None like this. Thank you."

"Well, I was going to wait, but I guess I'd better give my gift now too." Ginny reached under the tree, pulling out a tiny jewelry box. "Here you go."

"You got me something?"

"Of course. You're my boyfriend. Now open it."

He opened this one slowly as well, this time smiling instead of staring. "I love it." Draco pulled out the necklace, putting it around his neck. The long chain laid the dragon-shaped pendant to rest near his heart, so he could tuck it under his clothes.

"Because Draco stands for Dragon. And since you don't really have a family or a family crest anymore…I figured this could be your new crest, y'know?"

"Now my gift pales in comparison to yours."

"Your gift? I thought you said you didn't have any money left?"

"Just enough. That's why I sold my cloak."

"What is it? What did you get me?"

He shook his head. "It's stupid. It's not even wrapped. Here." Draco reached into his pant's pocket, pulling out something she couldn't see, and opened his hand. In the palm of it lay two identical rings. They looked like antique silver, and had grey gems set into them. He placed one on Ginny's ring finger, and it magically shrank to fit, then the other on his own. His turned a dark blue and hers stayed grey. "They're mood rings," he explained. "Muggles wear them, but these are different. They're charmed to tell the wizard how the one wearing the other ring feels. So I'll always know your mood."

"What does grey mean?"

"Nervous. Dark blue means happy and romantic."

Ginny threw her arms around him. "Thank you. They're beautiful."

He grinned, shrugging. "Now I've got you wrapped around my finger."


	20. Lies

A/N: Well, here is chapter 20, and on my last night of freedom before school starts back up. This one is much longer than any of my other chappies have been and very dramatic. I don't know much about the court system in England or in JK Rowling's books, so all of my terminology I got from watching Law and Order SVU, but hopefully it will make sense. Enjoy!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Do you feel like a man  
When you push her around  
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground  
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end  
As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found

A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect  
Every action in this world will bear a consequence  
If you wade around forever you will surely drown  
I see what's going down

-Face Down by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"I think I'm going to throw up." Draco grabbed a trash can, holding it up to Ginny in case she did. "I can't do this, Draco. I can't…"

"Yes, you can." He set down the bin and held his girlfriend close to him. "You have to."

"I'm so afraid." She glanced past the door, into the tightly packed courtroom. Just a few minutes now and she would be sitting up there on that seat in front of all the world, in front of _them, _describing the night she was raped. The thought made her sick to her stomach.

Draco held her shoulders at arms length and stared her in the eyes. His face was stern and strong, but in his grey eyes she could see a twinge of the same fear she felt deep in her heart. "Listen, Ginny. You have to go out there. You have to stand up to those men and you have to confess to everyone in that courtroom what they did to you. And you can _not_ let them see your fear. They will smell it like wolves and attack you. You are a strong woman, and you can do this, I know you can. You can face them. And when you're done they're going to go to Azkaban forever, and all of this will be over."

Reginald Conrad stepped up to them, laying a hand on the two teens' shoulders. He was a tall man, but lean and sophisticated looking. His clothes were sharp, his face clean-shaven, and his hair trim. He looked every bit a professional lawyer with a briefcase in one hand, a copy of the Daily Prophet in the other, and a pair of thin, wire-frame glasses on the end of his nose. But he also had a soothing, gentle presence about him. He understood Ginny's situation and treated her with all the delicacy, and all the firmness, that she needed. For the past week he had visited the Burrow often and counseled her patiently through every step of the trial until she knew it backwards and forwards, grilling her with all of the question he could imagine the defense could come up with, and reassuring her time and again that her rapists could not possibly lay so much as a finger on her in the courtroom without a team of aurors taking them down. To Draco and the Weasley family, he had become more than just a lawyer, he was a friend.

"Are you ready to go out there, Ginny?" Conrad asked her in his gentle voice.

She glanced again at the door. "I…I don't know."

"Ginny, you'll be fine. I will be by your side the entire time and Draco and your family will be in the audience for emotional support. Do you remember everything I told you?" She nodded, swallowing nervously. "Good." The lawyer glanced over her shoulder. "It's time for us to go in. We'll see you later, Draco."

Ginny's boyfriend gave her a peck on the cheek and turned to the go, but Conrad laid a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. He whispered quietly, so that only Draco and Ginny could hear, "And Draco, no matter what happens in there, no matter what the defendants or their lawyer say to her, I will have no outbursts from you, understood? You know that they are dirty fighters and will make the harshest, lowest blows to her, but you must be just as strong and silent as she is. But if you raise your voice in objection or try your hand at violence, no matter how much you hate these men, you could ruin her case."

Draco's face lowered to the ground and he nodded. "Yes, I understand. But did you ever find out who they got as a lawyer?"

Conrad shook his head. "No, but I'm sure he will be a Death Eater, or sympathetic to their cause. Now go. We'll see you after the trial."

Draco left them, and Ginny and Conrad gave each other one last glance before entering the court room. She took a deep breath as he instructed her to and kept her eyes straight ahead, on the table where she would sit, avoiding looking anywhere near the defendants. Ginny held her head high, kept her face a mask, and listened to Conrad talk, not hearing the words, but instead using his voice as an anchor to reality. She longed for Draco to be standing beside her, holding her hand, backing her up, protecting her, but she knew he could not be.

Ginny was almost to her seat when she finally looked up, her eyes catching the sun's reflection off of silvery blonde hair. Her heart leapt, thinking it was Draco standing just a few meters from her, but then she realized her mistake. The hair was too long and straight, down to the man's back, the robes too crisp and expensive, and when he turned, the face was too old, stern, and cruel. Ginny's step faltered and she gasped as she began to fall forward, but Conrad caught her, steadying her. She couldn't take the eyes off the man as his thin lips turned up in a cold smirk and his eyes glinted with mirth.

"Ginny, breathe. Before you start hyperventilating," Conrad whispered in her ear. She followed his command, forcing her eyes away from the man.

"That's Lucius Malfoy. Draco's father. What is he doing here?"

Conrad gave the man an examination from head to toe, then glanced at the three teenage boys that sat beside him. "It would seem he is representing them."

"What?!" She took a deep breath, lowering her voice again so only they could hear. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know. But I'll find out. Sit." Conrad held out a chair for her, and her weak knees were thankful when she collapsed into it. Ginny watched as her lawyer approached the judge, Lucius Malfoy following him. "Your honor, I am not certain I feel comfortable in this situation. Lucius Malfoy is not a lawyer, he has no training in law school. I don't know that it would be appropriate for him to represent these boys in trial."

Lucius smirked and turned to the judge, a man Ginny had never seen before. He sat sternly at his podium like a hawk, his sharp eyes staring out of his fleshy, severe face. His eyes narrowed on Lucius as the man began to speak. "With all due respect, your honor, I feel perfectly confident in my abilities to represent these boys in trial. Though I have no university degree like Mr. Conrad here, I have studied law thoroughly and know the ways of the court room."

Conrad turned now to Malfoy, glaring at him, and it was the first time Ginny ever saw the man's temper. It was the slightest twinge in his eyes of hatred, and then it was gone, but she noticed it nonetheless, as did Lucius. "Why are you representing them, Malfoy? What does it benefit you?"

"I am friends with these boys' parents, and they have paid me a hefty sum."

"You don't need any more money than you already have, Malfoy."

"Are you ready to make a deal, Conrad, or shall we continue with the trial? Don't tell me you'll back down just because I am representing them."

"Of course not." Reginald Conrad turned to the judge and gave him a curt nod. He returned to his seat beside Ginny. "I am sorry, Ginny, but there was nothing I could do."

Ginny glanced behind her, where Draco sat in the audience. Their eyes met, and she could see his anger boiling over. His jaw was clenched, she could bet his fists were as well, his back was tense, his eyes smoldered, and he glared daggers at his father. She turned forward again, whispering to her lawyer, "He's doing it to get revenge on Draco. Somehow, I don't know how, he found out about Draco and me, and now he wants to hurt him."

"Possibly, but there is nothing we can do now but continue with the trial. Be careful, Ginny. Malfoy is a sly, tricky man, and he will bend your words any way he can."

She nodded, and the trial began. Much of it was just formalities. Evidence was brought up before the jury. There were no clothes to show them, Ginny's mum had burned them all, but there was photographic evidence taken by the mediwitches at St. Mungo's. Ginny felt her face burn red hot with shame when they showed the more graphic of those photographs, and her eyes stung with tears when the mediwitch who had taken care of Ginny in the hospital took the witness stand. Conrad questioned the woman first. "Mrs. Custance, can you describe Ms. Weasley's state when she was brought to you?"

"She was unconscious. The girl was beaten up very badly, and there was blood…everywhere."

"Can you describe some of her wounds?"

"Bruises all over her body, mostly on her hips and breasts. An open wound on the back of her head, later we discovered she had a slight concussion from it that caused her to become unconscious. And lacerations all over her body."

"What were the lacerations from?"

"A Dark Magic curse. We brought in an expert who told us it was a rare curse known as Sectumsempra that causes cuts on the victim's body, most congregated where the curse hits and spreading out from there."

"And was there any way to heal these cuts?"

"No. We were too late to heal them with magic and we had use the Muggle fashion. She will most likely have the scars for the rest of her life."

"That is all." Conrad sat back down, and Lucius Malfoy rose to question the witness.

"How was Ms. Weasley's mental state when she awoke?"

"She was calm at first. Her concussion had caused her to forget most of the night."

"And as the memories returned?"

"The girl became frantic. She began thrashing wildly and screaming. She seemed to think she was still being raped."

"And did you do tests on her to see if she had had intercourse that night?"

The nurse lifted an eyebrow and leaned forward. "She was raped. With the injuries she sustained there is no doubt in my mind that she was raped."

"But it is possible the intercourse could have been consensual?"

The mediwitch shook her head. "No. She was beaten nearly to death."

Malfoy smiled at her. "And have you never patients in your hospital that were injured while having unconventional sex?"

"Never like that. She was almost dead. Had we not gotten her when we did, she would be now."

"And do you have any way of proving that these boys were the ones that had sex with Ms. Weasley?"

The mediwitch sighed, staring down at her hands. She shook her head. "No. Muggles do, but we do not. We used to have access to that technology, but the Ministry recently cut back on the number of Muggle practices we use in our hospitals. So there is no way for us to genetically prove they were the rapists. We can only look at the spells those boys cast that day."

"And the aurors did, didn't they?" Lucius returned to his desk, picking up a paper. "Here are the records of all spells cast that day by these three boys. Besides a few house cleaning spells and some jinxes, no doubt done in jest with one another, there are no Unforgiveables or spells resembling the one that could have left all of the lacerations on Ms. Weasley."

Conrad stood. "Your honor, it is always a possibility," he narrowed his eyes at Malfoy, "that the records were altered."

"Are you suggesting malpractice in the record-keeping office, Mr. Conrad?" Lucius Malfoy lifted an eyebrow at the judge.

"I am suggesting that whoever Ginny's rapists were they could have found ways to cover their tracks, especially if they were Death Eaters, as the victim's testimony suggests."

"Well, how about we have our victim's testimony, then, Mr. Conrad? And then we shall see if it is a possibility her 'rapists' were Death Eaters."

Conrad nodded and sat down, and before Ginny knew it, she was being pushed forward to the witness stand. She took the seat shakily, her eyes roaming over the crowd of people that sat before her. She locked eyes with Draco, who tried to force a comforting smile her way, but it came out more as a grimace. Conrad walked up to the stand she sat on before the court room. "Ms. Weasley, can you please tell the court room what happened to you the night you were raped?"

"What would you like to know?" she whispered, her voice shaking as badly as her hands did.

"Why were you out that night?"

"I was delivering a package for my brothers. From their shop."

"Weasley Wizard Wheezes?"

"Yes."

"And how did you end up in Knockturn Alley?"

Ginny licked her lips nervously, staring down at her hands so that she didn't have to see Zabini, Crabbe, and Goyle in her periphery vision. "I was taking a shortcut. I…thought it would be safe."

"And when did you first encounter the boys?"

"They walked out of a tavern. They were drunk and they called my name."

"And what did you do, Ms. Weasley?"

"I lowered my head and kept walking. I wouldn't be friends with anyone that would hang out in taverns in Knockturn Alley."

"But they called your name? Of that you are certain?" Ginny nodded. The answers came easily to her; she and Conrad had gone over them again and again until they were rehearsed. "Then, that means they must have known you? Perhaps from school?"

"Yes. They seemed about my age."

"They continued to harass you?"

"Yes. They kept calling my name and making rude comments and suggestions. I…I started getting nervous. It was really late and I didn't see anyone around. I thought if I made it out to the other side to Diagon Alley, where there were people, I would be safe."

"So you started running?" She nodded again. "And then what happened?"

"They cornered me in an alley with a dead end." Ginny bit her bottom lip, closing her eyes to force back the tears. "And I tried to defend myself," her voice broke, "but there were four of them. They…disarmed me. Broke my wand." She forced her eyes up to Conrad and raised her voice so it didn't tremble. "And they raped me."

Conrad nodded, glancing at the jury. "And when they were done raping you?"

"They said they would have to kill me. They said I would talk." Ginny closed her eyes, and she could picture it clearly in her mind. The dark alley, the smell of blood and sweat and sex. The awful, throbbing pain starting in her hips and vibrating throughout her body. And their voices, as if they were right there with her.

"Ms. Weasley? Ms. Weasley?" Ginny's eyes opened, and she was startled to see she was back in the courtroom. "Are you alright, Ms. Weasley? Do you need to take a break?"

Ginny shook her head. "They didn't want me to die easily. They wanted it to be slow and painful. So they performed Sectumsempra. And then they left me in a pile of garbage to die."

"Thank you, Ms. Weasley. No further questions."

Ginny nodded, though she knew it wasn't over yet. No, that was the easy part. Now, Malfoy would question her. She shook with fear as he stood, walking around his bench and sitting on the table. She kept her eyes down; she couldn't look at him without seeing _them_. "Ms. Weasley, what were your attackers wearing?"

"Death Eater masks and robes."

"The entire time this event took place?"

"Yes."

"Then you did not see their faces?"

"No."

"And they did not use each other's names?"

She shook her head. "No."

"So…" he stood, staring down at some papers in his hand in mock confusion. "How do you know that these boys are your attackers?"

Ginny glanced up at Conrad, then at Draco, sitting further behind him. This was the hardest question, where they had the least amount of evidence. Ginny had to choose her words wisely. She swallowed, clearing her throat. "They skin colors and-"

"Their skin colors Ms. Weasley? And how did you see that if indeed it was dark and they wore masks and robes?"

She lifted her eyes to him. Her ring was a bright, angry red and hot on her hand. She knew Draco was seething where he sat, and she felt his anger boil up in her as well. When she answered him, her voice was harsh. "They had to unzip their pants to rape me."

Lucius Malfoy lifted his hands in surrender. "Ahh, my apologies, Ms. Weasley. I did not mean to offend you. So, what were their skin colors?"

"Three of them were white and one was black."

"So…that made you believe these boys raped you?"

"That, and they have the exact same body types and hair colors and styles."

"And what would that be?"

"Two were nearly identical. Large men." She glanced over at Crabbe and Goyle, who sat with dumb looks on their faces. "Dark, short hair. One of them was tall, with black skin, and black curly hair." Her eyes landed on Zabini, who was smirking at her.

"So, that is all you have to prosecute them with? They had similar skin and hair colors and body structures and your rapists?"

"And they're Death Eaters."

There were gasps throughout the room, and Ginny lifted her chin in defiance, daring him to challenge her. "And what evidence do you have of this, Ms. Weasley?"

Conrad stood. "The prosecution would like to bring forth one final piece of evidence." The judge nodded to allow it. Conrad pulled out three identical, black robes and Death Eater masks. "These robes and masks were found in the boys' quarters at Hogwarts. We searched their rooms with their permission."

Lucius Malfoy smiled at Conrad. "Ahh, yes. Three standard black robes and some masks done up to imitate the ones worn by Death Eaters. This proves nothing except that these boys like to dress up in costumes and scare other students with them." He turned to the jury. "When a child is prosecuted for a mask, well, I must say Halloween will never be quite the same."

"Our Aurors examined these masks and robes. They are genuine Death Eater standard outfits."

"Well then, Mr. Conrad, if these boys are indeed Death Eaters, as you claim, and not just children with some silly costumes, they should have Marks." He nodded his head at the boys. "Turn up your sleeves."

All three boys stood and rolled up their sleeves, holding out their arms with their palms facing up. All had pale, unblemished, unmarked skin. "That proves nothing. They could have hidden the marks."

"Then by all means. Have your aurors try to find them."

They did. Ginny sat there for nearly fifteen minutes as three aurors tried spell after spell, unsuccessfully, to reveal any hidden tattoos on the boys' forearms. Ginny began to fear that they didn't have such a strong case after all. "Ms. Weasley, I have just a few more questions for you. How many children are there in your family?"

Ginny's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and she glanced at Conrad for help. He seemed just as puzzled as she was. "Seven, including myself."

"Seven? And both your parents work, yes?"

"No. My mother stays at home keeping the house. My father works in the Ministry of Magic in the offices of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts."

"And that can't pay very well, can it, Ms. Weasley?"

She narrowed her eyes at Malfoy senior, trying to understand what he was getting at. "We have enough money to take care of ourselves. Five of my brothers work as well."

"Even so, they have lives of their own, don't live at home, correct? And you and your older brother, Ronald was it, still attend Hogwarts. How is it you can afford to feed and clothe yourself and even have such nice things?" He took Ginny's hand, holding it up so that her ring glinted in the light. She yanked it back hurriedly, feeling as if he'd burned her. "If you yourself don't work?"

"I was working in my brothers' shop. I already said so. I was delivering a package-"

"A package which never arrived. I went through your brothers' records that day, and found no such purchase or delivery."

Ginny gaped at him, wondering how he could get such information. "They aren't very good bookkeepers." Her voice was sounding more and more desperate and Lucius continued to speak.

"Ms. Weasley, would you do anything to ensure your family's well-being?" She nodded cautiously. "Anything they asked?" Another slow nod. "Even if that meant working as a prostitute?"

"What?" Ginny stared at him in horror and confusion. "Of course not!"

"But you just said you would do anything they would ask of you."

"They would never ask that of me!"

"But if, hypothetically, they did…"

"We are proud people! We would never stoop to such things!"

"Let me tell you my theory, Ms. Weasley." He leaned forward, placing his hands on the desk in front of her and dropping his voice to an intimidating level. "I don't think you were delivering a package that night. I think you were standing on the street corner-"

"No-"

"Trying to earn extra money-"

"No!"

"By prostituting yourself." She shook her head, looking to Conrad for help. "No one can blame you. You come from a poor, impoverished family. You only wanted to help them. So when these boys left that tavern that night you offered them a good time and they accepted. But things got out of hand, they got too rough, and then you realized you knew them from school. You thought they would start rumors about you, so you yelled rape."

"No!" Ginny stood, no longer able to contain her anger. "You're a liar! They-" she pointed at the boys seated across the room from her, "raped me!"

"No further questions, Ms. Weasley."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco was going to kill someone. He was going to kill his father. When he saw Lucius was the representative of Ginny's rapists, he was livid. But now, after he shamed and slandered her in front of a whole room of people and reporters and jurymen…there was no word for the hatred he felt. It took all his might not to stand up and throw the Killing Curse at his father. The only thing that kept him planted in his seat was the fact that he was being practically held down by Ginny's parents, who had already made her younger brothers leave, knowing they had much less self-control than Draco, Bill, and Charlie did.

What bothered him the most was that there was nothing he could do. His father was right there, and he could not confront him. Ginny's rapists stood in the very same room as him, and he could not attack them. And Ginny herself sat all alone on that pedestal as Lucius questioned her, and he could not comfort her. His ring was black and icy cold with fear, but occasionally it spiked bright pink in anger, and Draco felt proud of her when she stood up to Lucius and defended herself.

They let Ginny step down from the pedestal and called up Zabini while Crabbe and Goyle were forced to leave the room. If their testimonies were different, the jury would know they were lying. They could not give the boys a truth serum because they were underage, so this was the only to test whether or not they lied. Zabini lounged back arrogantly in the chair, a sly smirk on his face as Lucius began questioning him.

"Where were you the night Ginny Weasley was attacked?"

"I was at a tavern with my friends."

"The same tavern in Knockturn Alley that she saw you come out of?"

"Yes."

"And what happened?"

"We recognized her from school and called out to her. We began talking and she offered to show us a good time for a cheap price."

"And you accepted?"

"We were drunk and horny, and she was easy. Who wouldn't?"

Lucius chuckled. "Please continue."

"We went to an alley. I don't normally bang girls in alleys, but she didn't seem to mind. Seemed like she'd done it before. We took our turns but…it got a bit out of hand."

"Out of hand how?"

"Violent. We might have…hurt her while we had sex. She didn't mind though, I swear. She told us she was okay with it as long as she got paid."

"And then what?"

"We finished up and turned to leave. We paid her, but she wasn't satisfied. She said she wanted more money. We refused, then she began to threaten us. We told her if she bothered us we'd tell the whole school what she did at night. We left, and next I hear she ends up in the hospital half dead."

"Then, you didn't perform the Sectumsempra spell on her?"

"No. I'm not a killer. I don't know how she got so cut up. Maybe someone attacked her after we left or maybe she did it to herself so she could tell everyone we raped her. But when we left her she was perfectly fine."

"And how do you explain the Death Eater masks and robes?"

He rolled his eyes with a sigh. "I bummed them off some guy in Knockturn Alley. I thought they looked cool, y'know, would impress the other Slytherins. We were wearing the robes that night, and when she saw them she wanted us to wear the masks too. Said she liked how _dangerous_ it felt."

"Thank you, Mr. Zabini. That will be all."

The other two stories were exactly the same. Even when Conrad questioned them about every minute detail, still their stories matched up. Lucius had trained them well, to Draco's anger. It didn't take the jury long to come to a verdict. Draco and Ginny's parents waited with bated breath for their decision.

"On the count of rape, how does the jury find the defendants?"

The representative of the jury stood, clearing his throat. "The jury finds the defendants not guilty."

"On the count of attempted murder, how does the jury find the defendants?"

"The jury finds the defendants not guilty."  
Draco listened and watched in horror and disbelief as Zabini, Crabbe, and Goyle cheered and congratulated each other. Ginny collapsed into her chair, and though he could not see her face, he knew she must be going into shock. Conrad approached the judge angrily. "Your honor! You saw what these boys did to Ginny Weasley. You couldn't possibly allow them to return to school with her. For the safety of all the students, my client especially, it would be-"

"No need to fret, Conrad." Lucius stepped up to the bench with a smirk. "Mr. Zabini, Mr. Crabbe, and Mr. Goyle will not be returning to Hogwarts for the spring semester."

"Where are they going then?" Conrad asked in disbelief.

"They are embarrassed by this trial and do not wish to face the negative publicity of the press and the shunning of their peers. They are attending Durmstrang to finish out their last year."

Draco only half-listened to them as he shoved his way through the crowd to Ginny. When he reached her, she was shaking and breathing shallowly, her eyes unfocused. He called out to her repeatedly but she didn't answer him. Draco cursed to himself. She was in the same state he had found her in after the Halloween ball.

Conrad and Draco helped Ginny to her feet, and she seemed to somewhat regain her surroundings as they escorted her out of the court room. By the time they got to the hallway it had cleared until it was nearly empty. And then Zabini entered the room from a side door, followed by Crabbe and Goyle.

Draco immediately put himself between them and Ginny, his body braced for a fight. The boy slinked up to them, a self-satisfied smirk permanently plastered on his face. "Draco, Draco, Draco. Gone and joined the bloody Order have you?"

"Fuck off, Zabini. Leave Ginny alone."

"Is she your girlfriend now, then?" The two were nearly nose to nose as they stared each other down. "I hope you have fun with her…I did love to listen to her screaming."

Draco's control snapped, as did the rest of him, and he launched himself at Zabini. He only managed to punch the boy in the nose before he was yanked back by Conrad, who was surprisingly strong for being such a thin man. That didn't stop Draco from spitting and screaming. Over the angry buzzing in his ears he didn't hear much of what he said, but he did remember repeating the phrase "I'll kill you! I'll fucking kill you, you sick bastard!"

Lucius stepped into the hallway, laying a hand on Zabini's shoulder so he backed off. "Making death threats at my clients, Draco?"

"No, he wasn't," Conrad replied firmly, glaring at Draco. "Let's go, Draco."

"Did you hear what he said?!" He hissed as Lucius and Ginny's rapists turned, walking away freely. As if they hadn't nearly killed Ginny. As if they hadn't completely destroyed her life. "Did you hear that bastard?!"

"Of course I did. But it doesn't matter…" Conrad sighed. "They've already won."


	21. Anything

A/N: Sorry this chapter is a few days late. And I know you must all hate me because of the end of the last chapter (dodges angry hate mail) but it was for a good reason, I swear! Keep reading and enjoy!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

And I would do anything for love  
I'd run right into hell and back  
I would do anything for love  
I'll never lie to you and that's a fact

Maybe I'm crazy  
But it's crazy and it's true  
I know you can save me  
No one else can save me now but you

I would do anything for love  
Anything you've been dreaming of  
But I won't do that

But I'll never stop dreaming of you  
Every night of my life  
No way

I would do anything for love  
I would do anything for love  
I would do anything for love  
But I won't do that

-I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) by Meat Loaf

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco lay Ginny's limp body in the bed, pulling the covers up over her. She had passed out shortly after the encounter with Zabini, her emotions overcome by the ordeal of the trial. Not that he blamed her. He wished he himself could fall asleep beside her and dream that this had never happened. That Zabini, Crabbe, and Goyle had lost. No, that they had never even had the thought to so much as touch Ginny at all. But it was useless to wish to undo the past.

Draco kissed Ginny lightly on the lips and brushed her hair out of her face, staring sadly at his fallen angel. She didn't deserve what had happened to her. No one did, but especially not someone as beautiful, amazing, and innocent as Ginny. He still couldn't believe, couldn't fathom, that those bastards had gotten away with what they'd done. It only showed how corrupted the Ministry had become with evil and greed.

Draco hated them. All of them. The Death Eaters, the corrupt Ministry of Magic, the men that hurt the only person in this world that mattered to him. He believed in justice, in atonement, and he believed those men should pay. One way or another. His face set in a resolute grimace, Draco glanced once more at his sleeping girlfriend before turning and leaving the room, heading downstairs.

The sound of a familiar voice reached his ears as he turned towards the living room. Conrad was here speaking with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley; well, Conrad was speaking, Mrs. Weasley was sobbing, and Mr. Weasley was silent. "How…how could this have happened? How?" How seemed to be the question on everyone's mind since the trial.

"I'm sorry." Conrad sighed. "The Ministry…it's not what it used to be. The Death Eaters have infiltrated it silently, slowly, but surely. They control most of it now. Whomever didn't already side with Malfoy from the beginning was either bribed or threatened by the man. He is very rich and very powerful, and no one would want to stand up to that." The man stood, pacing the room, his long shadow passing into the hallway where Draco stood listening. "We know we are approaching dark times when a victim becomes a criminal and a criminal a victim." The man paused. "Draco. No need to stand out in the hallway. Come in."

The boy did as he was told, entering the living room. He didn't wonder how the man knew he was eavesdropping; like Dumbledore used to he just seemed to have a sixth sense. Conrad approached him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Draco. You put your trust in me and I've failed you. I don't feel right keeping your money, especially now that I know to what lengths you went to attain it. Please, take it back."

Draco shook his head. "No. No one could have seen what was coming, not even you. I think no matter how good of a case you put up, we still would have lost. As for the money, you have a family to raise. You need it more than I do."

Conrad bit his lip, choosing his words before he spoke. "Draco. I know you may feel that the outcome of the trial was unjust, and it was, but…I don't want you to do anything rash out of your anger."

Draco's jaw clenched as he stared at the ground. He tried to put his mask in place, the one he had perfected for his father, but being around Ginny for so long he'd gotten rusty. He knew the hatred shone through his eyes, but he hoped Conrad didn't notice. "I don't know what you're talking about…all of my actions are thoroughly thought out."

"Draco…" There was a sharp warning in the man's tone. He leaned closer, dropping his voice to a hushed whisper. "I don't want to have to be defending _you_ next."

"You won't. You can rest assured, Conrad." Conrad nodded, though it was obvious he didn't believe Draco.

Molly turned to her husband. "What if Ginny has another nightmare?"

"I've brought plenty of sleeping draughts for her, Mrs. Weasley."

The woman didn't seem to know what to do with herself. It was obvious she needed to be active, cooking, cleaning, or fretting over her children, to keep herself calm. "I don't want her going back to Hogwarts after this. It doesn't feel right."

"With all due respect, Mrs. Weasley, she must." Molly seemed surprised by the insistence in Conrad's voice. "I don't know if you noticed it, but from what Draco told me Ginny has improved dramatically since she's been with at Hogwarts. I think if she was here without him she would only regress back into her old state. She needs to return to school and society in order to heal."

Molly nodded, smiling at the boy through her tears. "Yes, you're right. When Draco showed up I actually saw Ginny smile."

Conrad cleared his throat. "I must be returning home," he said to the Weasley parents. "Anytime you need me, Draco, just floo me. You two should get some rest. There is no point in mulling over this any longer. You need to be strong for your daughter."

Ginny's mother nodded again, wiping her nose. Arthur Weasley waited until Conrad had gone before turning to Draco. "Even though you didn't win…we just want to give you our gratitude for what you did for Ginny."

Draco stared blankly at the wall. "I just wish I could have done more."

Mr. Weasley stood. "You did enough. Come, Molly, let's go to bed. You should too, Draco."

"Where are Ginny's brothers?" he asked suddenly, surprising them.

"I believe they're in Fred and George's room, dear. Why?" Molly asked.

"Thank you. Good night Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley." Draco headed back up the stairs to the second floor where Fred and George slept. He knocked on the door before entering without an invitation.

Ron, Fred, George, and Bill stood, the first to yell at him for barging in, the twins to make room for him on the bed, and the latter to shake hands with him. "We saw what you did for our sister, defending her from that creep Zabini. Thank you, Mal—Draco." Draco took his hand, grasping it firmly but silently. "You're one of us now. Brother." Bill gave him a smile, ignoring Ron's objections.

"Good. Then I trust what I have to tell you won't leave this room."

Charlie lifted an eyebrow. "If you have a secret, you can rely on us to keep it."

Bill returned to his seat on the floor, glaring at Ron until the boy also sat. The twins listened closely, always excited by a conspiracy, though Draco noted that for the first time since he'd been here they weren't experimenting with new inventory for their shop. As he examined each of Ginny's six brothers in turn (though only five were present, Percy Weasley could not be bothered to return home even for his sister's trial) he saw how each of them had been affected by the events of that night. Ron looked frazzled and confused, anger seeming to be his only emotion. Fred and George were for once silent and unmischievous. Charlie stared at the floor, his chin on his folded hands, his thoughts dark. Bill couldn't seem to stop fidgeting where he sat. "I…need your help with something," Draco said slowly. "I have plans…for Ginny's rapists."

They all perked up at the words, their attentions turning fully to Draco. "Go on," Charlie murmured. "What kind of plans?"

Draco leaned against the wall, staring at the ceiling. He closed his eyes before whispering, almost to himself, "I plan to kill them all."

There was a long silence in the room before Ron stood, bursting out, "I knew it! I knew he was a good for nothing murdering Death Eater just like his fath—"

"Ron!" Bill's voice was harsh. "Shut up or leave."

"But—"

The man glared at his younger brother, silencing him immediately, before turning his attention back to Draco. "What can we do?"

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny sat up in bed with a gasp, her heart racing. Despite the cold that caused layers of snow to pile up on the ground outside, she was sweating. She pulled back her covers and immediately began to shiver as her wet skin was met with frigid air. She had been having another nightmare about them, the same as always, but this time they were mocking her, laughing at her for her pathetic attempt to bring them to justice. She could still feel the phantom sensations of helplessness and fear ghosting over her subconscious, but they passed quickly the longer she was awake.

Ginny stood, her feet touching the freezing floor, and grabbed a robe, wrapping it around herself. She tiptoed to the bathroom, not knowing what time it was or if anyone was still awake. It wasn't until she was done and heading back up to her room that she heard Draco's voice.

The girl paused at the bottom of the stairs, staring down into the dark hallway. She could see a light spilling out of Fred and George's room and a shadow occasionally pass by. Every once in a while another voice broke in, and she realized all of her brothers must be gathered in the room with Draco. Were they hurting him? Beating him up? He didn't sound distressed. The redhead silently crept to the bottom of the stairs and put her ear to the door, listening.

"We must make it look like an accident. That's imperative. They can't know that any of us are involved, especially not Ginny."

"How do we do that?" she heard Fred ask.

"They have to go one by one. Separately. The first one will catch their attention, by the second they'll start to be suspicious, and by the third they'll know what we're up to. So we must not give them any reason to suspect us."

"Who should go first?" that was Bill's voice.

"That Zabini creep. Definitely. Did you hear what he said to Ginny after the trial?" Ron's voice was bitter and his tone biting.

"No," Draco interjected. "No…I want to save him for last. I want him to know we're coming for him. I want him to be afraid of us."

"Then…Crabbe or Goyle?"

"Why not just kill them in alphabetical order?" George suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Fred intervened.

"Shouldn't Ginny have a say in this?" Charlie spoke up, his voice quiet.

"No. I don't want her to know anything about this."

"Why not?" Ginny pushed open the door, her hands on her hips. All of the boys stood at her entrance, staring at her with wide eyes. "Why can't Ginny know?"

Draco turned to her, his mouth open in surprise. "Ginny…how much did you hear?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Enough." Draco opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "I want to talk to you. Alone." She glared at the room full of her brothers. "Good night."

Draco followed her out into the hallway, closing the door behind him, and Ginny knew her brothers would be listening through it, at least Fred and George. "Ginny…" he whispered, holding out a hand to touch her. The hallway was dark and shadowy; the only light that spilled in was from the moon outside. Ginny turned away from Draco's touch, going to the window.

"Why are you keeping secrets from me, Draco?"

"I…I just wanted to protect you."

Her nails dug into her arm and her teeth gritted. "Protect me?"

He heard the warning signs in her voice, the tightly contained anger ready to explode. Draco put an arm on her waist to try to calm her. "I just…I thought after what happened…"

She turned to him, pushing her finger into his chest. "I grew up as the Golden Trio's third wheel, Draco. The younger sister of six siblings. My mother's only daughter. I have spent my entire life being coddled and protected and kept out of _everything_, and I'm sick of it. I am not a child, Draco. Do not treat me like one."

"I didn't mean to, Ginny," he whispered, taking her hand and kissing her palm. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just see you as so fragile, and can you blame me? The way you've been for the past six months?"

Her anger deflated at the worry in his voice. She shook her head. "No. But I don't want you to exclude me from things, especially things like this, Draco. Like what you're talking about. It's…it's _murder_, Draco."

"I know. What would you like me to do, Ginny? How can I include you?"

"You can listen to me. You can do as I say."

"What? Anything. I'd do anything for you, Ginny." The conviction in his voice was so strong she knew he was being completely honest with her.

She put her hands on either side of his face, staring up into his grey eyes sadly. "Don't go. Don't do this."

He stared at her in shock, as if he didn't believe what he was hearing. "Don't? Ginny…they raped you. They would have killed you."

"Yes, I know."

"They deserve as much pain as they can get."

"I agree."

"They deserve to die." She nodded. "Then…what? Why don't you want me to kill them?" Ginny sighed, looking away. "What…are you mad because I dragged your brothers into this?"

The girl shook her head. "No. They're strong, they can watch out for themselves."

"Then…you don't…want me to be a murderer?" His eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "Are you afraid of me? Are you afraid that I'm capable of killing?"

"No. Of course not. I've always known that, Draco. I don't care."

"Then what? You don't want me to be like my father? Like a Death Eater?"

"No! You could never be like him, Draco."

"Why not? What is it, Gin? Ginny, please." He fell on his knees, his arms clenching around her midsection, his eyes staring up at her. "I need a reason. You know if you told me not to I couldn't go against your wishes but…but they hurt you. They should be punished. Please let me be the one to punish them. To ensure you your safety for the rest of your life and to allow me to enact my revenge. Please let me avenge you, Ginny, or at least tell me why I can not. Why you forbid me." He was begging her, actually on his knees pleading with her.

The girl stroked her boyfriend's silver hair soothingly. "I just…I don't want you to get caught, Draco. I don't want you to get hurt or worse, killed. If something were to happen to you…it would be all my fault. I couldn't live with myself." A few tears slipped out of her eyes, and she wiped them away harshly.

Draco rose up, kissing her lips gently. "Ginny…I won't get hurt, _they will_." He lifted a hand, running his thumb gently under her eyes, catching the stray tears.

"But if you—"

"I was raised by Death Eaters. Murderers. I know how to kill and not get caught." Draco shook his head, chuckling, though she didn't see what was so funny. "I can't believe that's all your worried about. And here I was afraid you would stop loving me if I became a killer."

"I could never stop loving you." She gasped as she realized her words, biting her bottom lip, but there was no taking back what she had said. Ginny buried her head in his shirt, hiding her face.

Draco chuckled, lifting her head so she had to meet his eyes. "Are you telling me you love me, Ginny Weasley?"

The redhead turned her face away in embarrassment. "You know that already."

"Yes, but I've never actually heard you say it."

The long minutes ticked by silently as she tried to work up the courage. Why couldn't she say it? Why couldn't she just spit it out? Three simple words. How hard was it to say three simple words? And yet, her mouth couldn't seem to form around them. She lost her voice. Her throat became dry and choked up and she forgot the words. She played them over and over in her head, but forcing them out was impossible. Finally, she whispered lamely, "I'm tired. I would like to go to bed."

Ginny's boyfriend sighed. "Alright, but that doesn't mean I'm forgetting about this. Do you want me to walk you back to your room and tuck you in?"

She nodded, and Draco led her back up the stairs to her bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed as Ginny crawled under the now cold covers. Draco stood to leave, but Ginny grabbed his hand. "Draco?"

"Yeah, Gin?"

"Stay with me tonight." He obliged, unable to resist her command, nor did he want to. Draco crawled under the covers with her, wrapping his arms around the small, frail girl. She cuddled up to him, sighing contently. "Draco, promise not to exclude me from things from now on."

"I promise, love. I will tell you everything. All of our plans. And whenever I go out to commit the deed, I will let you know beforehand…I'll even take you with me, if you wish."

She was quiet as she contemplated this, but then the girl shook her head. "No. I don't want to face them again. Just tell me where you're going when you leave and what happened when you get back. And…and promise to come back."

"I will always come back, Ginny. I swear it."

"And Draco?"

"Hmm?"

"I do…feel that way about you. You know that. I just don't…I don't know how to say it."

"The first time's the hardest. After that it gets easier." He stroked her hair softly, lifting her chin. Draco brushed his lips softly against hers, closing his eyes as she kissed him gently and slowly. For minutes they lay there locked in an embrace, barely moving but for their lips, which teased each other's relentlessly. Finally, he pulled away, staring into her deep brown eyes, admiring the woman he adored. He could see the shadow of some internal struggle pass over her face. Her lips trembled, her cheeks were hot to the touch, her eyes locked with his, unable to look away. She opened her mouth to speak, emitting a few squeaks before she found her voice. "I…I…I…love…you." She whispered each word separately, testing the way they sounded on her tongue. The second time the phrase came out as a single sentence. "I love you, Draco."

He had heard this feeling described before but to truly experience it was so much different. He could actually feel his heart as a muscle swelling in his chest. His mind was filled with thoughts of her and only her. His entire body longed to be as close to hers as was physically possible. Draco pulled her against him tightly, kissing her forehead. "I know. I've always known."


	22. Murderer

A/N: Umm…not much to say except enjoy!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

There's nothing left  
So save your breath  
Lying and wait  
Caught inside this tidal wave  
You're covers blown  
No where to go  
Holding your fate  
Knowing that I will walk alone  
Fire your guns  
Its time to run  
Blow me away  
I will stay unless I may  
After the fall  
We'll shake it off  
Show me the way

Only the strongest will survive  
Lead me to heaven when we die  
I have a shadow on the wall  
I'll be the one to save us all

-Blow me Away by Breaking Benjamin

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

The bell tolled throughout the school and the students stood, packing their bags to head for their last class. Ginny joined the masses in the corridors, making her way to Transfiguration, tuning out the whispers and stares she got from the students around her. After all, she wasn't new to gossip being spread about her. Although it did seem escalated since the trial, she knew that some of the looks she got were of pity and sympathy. And, more than once, she locked eyes with a girl who gave her a look of understanding, as if she too had been in the same position. In fact, Ginny had been using the loo when a girl in the stall next to her suddenly spoke up. The stranger thanked her for what she'd done, claiming she too had been raped by Blaise Zabini, and that Ginny confronting him in trial had given her hope. She left before Ginny could get her name or even see her face, but it still left her feeling proud.

Not everyone sympathized with her though. Some blindly believed Skeeter's article and the outcome of the trial, and she heard them whispering cruel words. It was the first time Ginny had received hate mail, most of it harmlessly written phrases such as "whore" and "liar" but there were hexes in a few of them. Draco advised her to let him open all of her mail from now on, as he sat undisturbed beside Ginny at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Occasionally Hermione sat with them, but Ron Weasley and Potter refused to so much as glance in their direction. Draco claimed Harry still liked Ginny, but she sincerely hoped he was wrong.

Ginny was interrupted from her reminiscence when she collided with another body, sending her flying backwards. Her butt hit the ground hard, jostling her, and she knew she would have a bruise there later, but Ginny was more concerned with picking up her now scattered papers. She reached for one when a heel stomped down on it, narrowly missing her hand.

The redhead glanced up in surprise at the girl that stood before her. Her short black hair, squashed in nose, extravagant clothing that Ginny was sure broke the dress code, and Slytherin crest gave her away as Pansy Parkinson. Behind her stood Millicent Bulstrode, whom Ginny recognized because of the story Hermione had told her about mistaking her cat's hair for Bulstrode's when creating a Polyjuice Potion in Ginny's first year. Next to her was another Slytherin girl Ginny didn't recognize. Pansy twirled her wand in her hand, her arms crossed as she looked down her nose at Ginny arrogantly.

"I heard about you, Weasley. Blaise told me all about what happened." She grinned cruelly when Ginny flinched at the name. The girl hunched down to be at Ginny's level and lowered her voice so only they could hear. "You stupid whore! Because of you my Blaise had to go to Durmstrang and who knows when I'll see him again? I should have known such a poor, ugly girl like you would be a prostitute. I just can't believe Blaise would ever want to shag _you_. You don't deserve him. Watch out, Weasley, because when you least expect it, I'm going to get you."

She stood, turning on her heel and crinkling Ginny's parchment in the process, stomping away. Shaking, Ginny picked up the papers and made her way to class. She ended up being late and getting a detention, but that was the least of her worries, really.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

It didn't take them long to find an opportunity to take out Vincent Crabbe. They had been back at school for only three weeks and just settling in. Ginny opted to continue staying with Draco in his rooms, even though her brother and friends insisted that she return to the Gryffindor commons room at night. She didn't want to spend a moment without him near; everyone in Hogwarts had heard or read about the trial and its outcome by now, and rumors were flying as hotly as they had when she'd returned from summer break. Then Ginny told Draco that some Slytherin girls had confronted her in the hallway between classes, scaring her out of her wits. Draco promised to deal with the girls, but Ginny refused to let him, claiming he had enough on his plate. And he did.

Draco and Ginny were returning from the library late at night when the two found Ron, Fred, and George Weasley sitting in their room. Ron looked disturbed by the fact that there was only one bed, but wisely kept his mouth shut. Fred and George lounged back on one of the sofas as if they visited everyday. "How'd you two get into here?"

"We have our ways." One of the twins replied.

"You don't honestly think the biggest pranksters in the history of Hogwarts wouldn't know the secret passages in and out of the school, do you?"

Ron held up a Daily Prophet for Draco to read, tossing it at him. The boy skimmed it over, biting his lip. "What's it say, Draco?" Ginny asked, peering over his shoulder.

"Vincent Crabbe was accused of rape again today."

"By whom?"

"Some barmaid at the Leaky Cauldron. It says Tom heard the sounds of struggle and ran in and caught him in the act. There's no way he could escape going to Azkaban with two eyewitnesses and no Lucius to defend him."

"How do you know Lucius won't defend him again?"

Draco shook his head. "That was a one time deal. To get back at me for being with you and to hurt your family all in the process. He couldn't care less about Crabbe, Goyle, or Zabini."

Ron stood and began pacing. "Don't you see what this means, though? If Crabbe gets accused then he'll either get the Kiss or be locked up in Azkaban. There's no way we could touch him in there! This is horrible!"

Draco sat down on the couch, putting his finger to his lips as he thought. Ginny sat on the arm of the chair, running her hands through his hair. "No…this might be exactly what we need."

"What do you mean?" Fred asked, crossing one leg over the other. Or perhaps it was George. Draco could never tell them apart like Ginny could.

"Yeah, have some way of breaking into Azkaban and killing him unnoticed?" the other twin joked.

He shook his head. "No…no, he isn't going to Azkaban." They all gave him odd looks. "He isn't even going to trial."

"Why not?"

The boy felt a smile creep onto his face, and vaguely, in the back of his mind, he knew he shouldn't be enjoying the idea of murder so much. He knew he shouldn't get such a sick pleasure from the thought of clutching Crabbe's neck until he choked to death, torturing Goyle until he died from the pain, or cutting Zabini and watching his blood flow out of him. But he ignored the slight twinge of disgust with himself, opting instead to revel in the horrible glee of murder. "Don't you see? He's going to jump bail. Attempt to escape before they convict him. He'll go to…pick a country in Europe, Ginny."

"Spain," she blurted out.

"Yes, he'll go to Spain," Draco exclaimed with delight, jumping up and grabbing her hands, spinning her around. She looked frightened by the mad glint in his eye. He stopped, holding her face in his hands, and leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips.

Her eyes widened, and he knew she was imagining with the same grotesque detail the thoughts that had just passed through his own mind. He could see the revulsion, and yet the curiosity of murder. And her awe. She was in awe of him, of his genius. "And will he escape?" she whispered, as if she were listening to a good story.

"Yes, he will. He will escape to Spain and he will never be heard or seen again in the Wizarding world."

The twins glanced at each other with mischievous grins, and Draco knew he'd already won them over. Ron wasn't so easy. "But how? Where will we find him? How will we get him alone? How will we kill him and hide the body so no one finds it?"

Draco held Ginny close, his chin on the top of her head, an evil hatred burning in his heart. "Just leave that up to me."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

The darkness of the streets was intermittently broken by flickering lampposts that barely managed to burn on through the wet, slushy snow. The frigid night air filled their lungs, mist leaving their lips like a specter whenever they exhaled. Four figures in long black cloaks made their way down the street, their eyes shrouded by their hoods. Their boots crunched on broken glass and they kicked a few pieces of trash out of the way as they walked. Occasionally the man in front paused, looking both ways, before silently pointing down another alley. The words he had spoken just moments ago lingered in the silent air like a phantom. "I suggest you run."

And run he did. A large, heavy man stumbled through the streets, pounding on doors for help, but nobody answered. No beggars or homeless were out when it was this cold, and it seemed everyone else that inhabited this corner of the world had tucked in for the night. He tried screaming for help, but his breath had left him long ago, and he had to huff and puff just to continue his slow trek through the maze of Muggle London. He turned down an alley that looked like it might be a way out but was met instead with solid brick. The man leaned his hands on his knees as he attempted to catch his breath.

A long shadow passed across his face and he looked up in shock and fear at the four figures. The one in the center stepped forward, removing his hood. Draco grinned as he pulled out his wand from his robes, Fred, George, and Ron Weasley following suit. "Well, isn't this just appropriate? Four men against one helpless victim trapped in a dead end alley. Nowhere to run or hide, completely at our mercy." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Only this time, we won't fail to kill you."

A green aura stretched from the ground up the walls and formed an iridescent roof over their heads. Draco waited until Fred and George were finished soundproofing the alley before he spoke again. "Does this bring back memories, Crabbe?" He leaned down next to the quivering, fat boy. "Why, just six months ago you were in our position. An innocent, helpless girl at your feet, your friends at your back. Did you enjoy it, Crabbe? Did you enjoy raping her of her innocence? Murdering her?"

He shook his head fearfully, backing away from Draco. "I didn't kill her! I didn't-"

"Oh, but you did. You killed her that night, Crabbe. You killed her innocence. And now, I must avenge her."

"No! I…I'm sorry! Tell her I'm sorry!" He began to cry, the tears rolling down his chubby face.

Draco glared, grabbing him by the shirt and lifting him up. "What about Ginny?! She begged you for mercy, didn't she?! She asked you to stop, to spare her. But did you?!" Draco stood, throwing the pathetic boy away from him. He pointed his wand at the groveling figure, narrowing his eyes. Hatred filled his heart, consuming him with a burning emotion that could be beaten only by the love he felt when he was kissing Ginny. "It's too late for sorry." In one swift movement he used the spell he had been taught by his father, but never before performed. The sound of screaming filled the alley as Crabbe writhed on the ground. Draco had never tortured before, and he had underestimated how powerful it made him feel. He could almost understand, could almost sympathize, with the Death Eaters that tortured and killed for a living. He held the boy under the spell for thirty long seconds before lifting it.

Crabbe attempted to sit up, gasping for air, but Draco's boot pushed him back to the ground. "They'll…they'll know. They'll find my body. And then you'll go to Azkaban."

Draco chuckled, shaking his head. "You underestimate me, Crabbe. There won't _be_ a body left for them to find." He glanced over at Ginny's three brothers. "Who's next?"

Fred stepped forward, lifting his wand. "I am."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny sat on the couch, her legs pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around her knees, and stared mindlessly into the flames. Draco had been gone for four hours now. How he and her brothers had managed to come up with a plan in less than a week to get Crabbe alone in Muggle London she would never know, but it was only six days since they'd been given the news about the rape accusations, and they were already out committing the deed. Draco had told Ginny everything, where he'd be, what they'd do, how they would kill him. She knew she should have fought harder, perhaps told him not to go so soon, with so little planning, but she couldn't find it in her heart. She wanted them dead just as badly as Draco did.

Was it wrong to wish he died suffering as much pain as possible? Perhaps. But she could not deny that she wanted his death to be long and excruciating. Was she going to hell now for her actions? Maybe. Who cared? Not Ginny. After the rape she had stopped believing in all of that. Stopped believing in such places as hell. Stopped believing in omnipotent beings that other people worshiped. After all, if they really existed, any of them, they wouldn't have let her suffer so much that night.

And should she be worried about her soul? About Draco's? She was an accomplice to murder. Even worse, she was the reason Draco was out there tonight. He had already told her he would not kill them if she asked him not to. But she could not ask such a thing, and that was just the same as commanding him to murder in her name. Shouldn't she have any regrets? But she didn't. She had none.

The door opened, and Ginny glanced up. Draco stood alone in the doorway, staring at the floor and rocking slightly from side to side. His hair was wet but his clothes were dry, and she recognized them as belonging to the twins. He must have gone back to their apartment above the shop and showered and changed before coming back. Ginny stood, walking over to him. "Are you okay, love? What happened?"

"It is done." His voice sounded empty. Devoid of any emotion. "He's dead."

"And the body?"

He shook his head. "No body. I made sure of that."

"How?"

He swallowed hard, hiding his face from her. "Remember that spell I taught you?" Draco whispered hoarsely.

She gasped, touching her hand to her lips in shock. "But…doesn't that leave a big…mess?"

"Nothing a simple Scourgify can't clean up."

Ginny took his hands in hers, staring down at them. Finally, she whispered, "And…did he…"

"He suffered. He screamed, and begged for mercy. And we showed him none."

She closed her eyes, taking a shaky breath. "Thank you, Draco. Thank you." When he didn't answer, Ginny glanced up at his face. Her eyes widened in surprise to see tears leaking out of his. "Draco? Draco, what's the matter?"

And that was all it took. He broke down, collapsing to his knees. The boy wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his head in her hips. "I'm so sorry, Ginny. I'm so sorry."

"About what? What are you sorry about, Draco?" He was beginning to frighten her the way he was acting.

He lifted his face to her, his eyes bloodshot from crying, his hair a mess. She could see the agony in his eyes. "Ginny…when I…when I killed him…" Draco began to tremble. "I enjoyed it so much. Listening to him scream. And I…I suddenly understood Death Eaters. Why they enjoy torturing and killing." He bit his lip so hard she was afraid it might bleed. "I'm just like them, Ginny. I'm just like my father. I always tried to deny it, but it's in my blood. Can't you see? No matter what I do, I can't escape it. I said I wanted to avenge you, but I really just wanted to kill. I just wanted to murder. I'm just a…a murderer."

Ginny lowered to her knees, lifting his face. "No, Draco. You are not a murderer. You are not your father." She held his face in her hands gently, whispering soothing words to him. "Death Eaters rape and torture and murder innocents. They do it for fun." She lay his head on her chest, stroking his hair. "He was no innocent. You killed him because it was the right thing to do, because not killing him would mean he got away with what he did to me. He deserved it, and you can't blame yourself for enjoying it."

Draco lifted his head, staring at her in wonder. "Ginny…make me forget. Please, I just want to forget."

Suddenly he crushed his lips against hers, knocking her to the floor. The boy's hands began roaming her body in a rushed frenzy, as if he couldn't control himself. His eyes were squeezed tight against the tears, against reality, and his mouth locked onto hers as if his life depended on her lips. The skill with which his tongue explored her mouth sent a thrill shooting up her spine. Ginny's hands locked in his hair and she kissed him back as one of his hands reached under her shirt to press against her back, the chill of his touch causing her to arch into his chest. His other hand planted itself firmly on her hip, his fingertips digging into her skin.

Draco's lips found their way to her throat. At first he sucked gently on the soft skin there, but then he suddenly sank his teeth in. It wasn't enough to break the skin, but it did make her gasp in surprise and discomfort. Draco froze at the sound of her pain, pulling his mouth away from her skin slowly and sitting up. He stared at her in astonishment, his eyes roaming over her swollen lips, disheveled hair, and bare stomach exposed by her bunched up sweater. He held a hand to his lips as if he might retch, backing away from her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Ginny…What have I done?"

Ginny sat up, shaking her head and pulling him into an embrace. He struggled at first, but then let her hold him. "What's wrong now, Draco?"

"I…I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have kissed you without your permission. I definitely shouldn't have touched you under your shirt. I bit you. I'm so sorry I bit you."

Ginny began to giggle. "Draco, you don't have to have my permission to kiss me. And I don't mind if you touch me. The biting did surprise me a bit, but it wasn't bad, really. You just need to be gentler."

"I shouldn't have done it at all."

"Why not?" What are you so worried about?"

He licked his lips, the agony returned to his eyes. "You're so fragile. After what you've been through…I don't have any right to touch you like that. And I certainly can't be rough with you…I have to control myself better."

Ginny kissed him gently on the lips, but he refused to return it. "Draco," she smiled, "you don't have to control yourself around me just because I was raped. I'm a woman…" His eyes widened in surprise at her next words. "I'm not without needs, you know. And I'm certainly not made of glass."

"You mean…you want me to…"

She bit her lip shyly, shrugging. "Yeah…someday."

His mouth dropped in shock. "Wow…wait, when is someday?"

Ginny stood, pulling him up. "I dunno. When the time is right." She lifted an eyebrow, smirking at him. "So you better be ready, and not freak out on me like that when I am ready."

His eyebrows lifted and he stared at her in wonder. "Yes, ma'am."


	23. Normal

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this chapter is so late, I've been uber busy lately. But I finally got it up and I will have another this weekend. We're almost to the end, just a few more chappies! Enjoy!

Couldn't find a song that exactly fit this chapter, but this was pretty close.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Just a day,  
Just an ordinary day.  
Just trying to get by.  
Just a boy,  
Just an ordinary boy.  
But he was looking to the sky.  
And as he asked if I would come along  
I started to realize  
That everyday you find  
Just what he's looking for,  
Like a shooting star he shines.

He said take my hand,  
Live while you can  
Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand

And as he spoke, he spoke ordinary words  
Although they did not feel  
For I felt what I had not felt before  
You'd swear those words could heal.  
And as I looked up into those eyes  
His vision borrows mine.  
And I know he's no stranger,  
For I feel I've held him for all of time.

And he said take my hand,  
Live while you can  
Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand  
In the palm of your hand.

-Ordinary Day by Vanessa Carlton

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Two cloaked figures treaded silently down the dark corridor. When they passed the occasional burning green lantern, fingers of light reached under their hoods, revealing their skeletal masks forever pulled up in a cruel grin. They did not speak, though the one followed the other with a sense of confusion and expectancy. Finally, they stopped before a large stone door. It towered above both the men and was lined with bars that appeared in the flickering light like sharp teeth set in a gaping mouth ready to consume them. The men stepped inside, and the door slamming shut behind them.

The man in front went to the center of the room and folded his hands behind his back, staring at the far wall. On either side of him stood four others, all in black cloaks, their heads bent towards the ground. The follower glanced at them in trepidation and whispered in a shaky voice, "Sir, is this where I can pick it up?"

"Pick what up?" The leader asked, not turning towards him.

"The parcel. For my assignment. You brought me here to pick it up, correct?"

"Ahh, yes. The parcel…No, it is not here."

"Then…then why'd you bring me here? What's your name?" His voice became more demanding as he grew annoyed with these games.

"You should know a Death Eater never gives away his name."

There was a long silence from the other man. Finally, he began to chuckle. "I know what this is. This is an initiation ceremony, isn't it? Father said soon it would be my turn to join the Dark Lord. What is my task, then?"

"Is that what you think?" The first one replied, a smile on his face. "Is that why you followed me, a complete stranger, into Gringott's bank in the middle of the night? Because you expected you would perform a task for your Dark Lord that would result in your initiation into his Death Eaters?"

"Well…well, yeah. That's what you brought me here for, isn't it?" The doubt was obvious in his voice.

Draco smiled, pulling his hood down and removing his mask. He turned, mask in one hand, wand in the other, and revealed his face. "No, Goyle, you stupid, stupid fool. I brought you here to kill you."

The boy collapsed to the floor, scooting back until he hit the wall. "What…what…do you want?!" He ripped his mask off to see them better, his puffy face contorted in fear.

"I thought I already told you. I'm going to kill you. You see, Goyle, you broke into Gringott's bank to steal from one of the vaults and prove your worth to Voldemort. However, in the process you tripped one of the traps and died a sick, horrendous, unforeseeable death. Gringotts apologizes to your parents and the Wizarding World that such a misguided boy should die so young, but it has no sympathy for thieves."

"You…you're making that up! That's not true…you killed Crabbe, too, didn't you! He didn't run away! You killed him!"

"Yes, though I am surprised that you could figure that out all by yourself." Draco began to applaud him slowly, as if he were congratulating a child. "But it makes no difference now. You're not leaving this room. You're going to die here."

As Draco spoke, Ginny's brothers pushed themselves away from the walls and began to close in, lifting their heads and removing their hoods so that their faces were also revealed. Ron, Fred, and George had been joined by their brother Bill, who worked in Gringotts, setting all of this up quite nicely for them.

"You…you're brothers of that bitch! Why are you here?"

"That _bitch_," Bill hissed, "has a name. It's Ginny. And we're here because _you_ raped her."

"No." He shook his head in denial, glaring at them. "No. She wanted it! She wanted us to!"

"Did she now?" Draco turned to Ginny's brothers. "Wouldn't you say that Goyle _wants_ us to kill him?"

"I would say he's practically _begging_ for it," Ron whispered.

Fred began, "Yes, wouldn't want—"

"—to disappoint." George finished.

"Let's give the man what he wants then." Draco lifted his wand with a smile, a manic gleam glinting in his eye. "It would be inhumane of us to deny him."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny opened her eyes slowly, blinking in the bright light of the morning. She yawned and stretched her entire body before curling up next to the warmth beside her. "It's morning already. You didn't wake me up last night."

"I didn't want to disturb you. You were sleeping so peacefully."

Ginny frowned against his chest. "How did it go?"

"Goyle is dead. He will never hurt you again."

"And? What did he say when you…"

"The same thing as Crabbe. He claimed he didn't know who the other rapist was. That he'd never met the man before. Had never even learned his name. Only that he was a friend of Zabini's."

"How are my brothers? Is everyone safe?"

"Everyone is fine Ginny."

"Only fine?"

He smiled down at her, kissing her on the forehead. "We weren't hurt. If anything, your brothers have all grown closer through this morbid bonding experience. And we staged everything perfectly. There is no way any of us can be connected to the murder. One of the workers will stumble upon the body this morning, before Bill even comes in to work. By the time he gets there, there will be a whole swarm of Aurors and reporters around Gringotts. It won't be the first time a robber has been killed trying to break in. The media will die down quickly enough and they will forget about it."

"What if they connect him to Bill?"

"It will take them days to even identify the body. And your brother wasn't on shift at the time or sighted anywhere near the building. They'll never know."

She sighed, burying her head in his chest. "I know I should trust you. I shouldn't worry so much, I just—"

Draco put a finger to her lips, quieting her. "Shh. It's good to be cautious. It's the only way to do this without getting caught." He smiled, replacing his finger with his lips. Draco pulled Ginny on top of him, wrapping his arms around her small body and kissing her passionately until she was breathless. "Can I ask you a question, Gin?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"

Ginny's brow furrowed in confusion. "You mean, as in a date?" He nodded, smiling at her. "Wow…" The girl giggled. "Now that I think about it…we've never been on a date, have we?"

"No, we haven't."

"Then yes. I would love to."

He smiled at her and buried his head in her hair, breathing in the scent of her. "Do we have to get up yet?"

Ginny chuckled and pulled herself out of her embrace. She yanked his covers off of him, letting the cold air wake him up. "Come on, we have class today," she said as she grabbed some clothes from her trunk and kicked him out of the room so she could change before breakfast.

Ginny and Draco parted ways after he walked her to her first class, and she didn't get to see him again for the rest of the day. In each class Ginny was too distracted to focus, absorbed in staring out the window and imagining what their date would be like. She felt a mixture of nervousness, excitement, and happiness. She felt like she were a normal teenager again. It was as if the proceedings of the last year had never happened. The trial was for once not on her mind. The events of the night she was raped did not play in the back of her mind over and over again as they once had. She felt no guilt over the deaths of her rapists, only a calming sense of peace and relief. Soon Zabini would be gone too, and then she would be safe. She did not think of her fourth rapist, of the mysterious blue eyes without a face or name. Knowing who her other three rapists were made him seem all the less real, like a phantom she had dreamed up in a nightmare. And now she finally was beginning to feel strong enough to push those nightmares away, into the darkest, furthest corners of her mind, and not let them haunt her during the waking hours.

Ginny got to see Draco only briefly after class. During dinner Hermione sat with them, and when Ginny told her friend about their date, she showed nothing but enthusiasm for them, as Ginny had expected. But when Hermione asked her what she'd gotten for Draco, the girl was confused. "Valentine's day is Saturday, Ginny. That's why they scheduled the Hogsmeade visit for this weekend."

The girl's mouth fell open in surprise. "Oh…Oh no! I didn't get you a gift, Draco!" She bit her lip, a brush rising to her cheeks.

Draco rolled his eyes, sending a fake glare in Hermione's direction. "Thanks. I knew she'd forget. I was planning on surprising her."

"Sorry," the brunette laughed sheepishly, making it obvious she was not at all. "Well, what are you going to wear, Ginny?"

"What do you mean?" The redhead looked down at her uniform: black pants, a white button up shirt, a red and gold tie, and her heaviest, warmest wool robe. "This?"

"You can't wear your uniform to Hogsmeade. It's a date. You're supposed to dress nice." It seemed obvious to Hermione, and if even Hermione thought something about fashion was obvious, then it was _really_ obvious.

"So now I have to get a present and wear clothes!" The girl threw up her hands in exasperation.

"Well…you don't _have_ to wear clothes," Draco commented, glancing at her chest. "It just might be a little cold out there with the snow and all."

"Oh Ginny, you're so silly. Come back to my room after dinner and I can lend you something of mine. You can borrow one of my dress robes."

It was Ginny's chance to glance at her chest. "Hermione, I don't think your dress robes would fit me."

"Oh bullocks, Gin. What do you take me for? I can shrink it down to fit you. I'm not the head of my class for nothing, you know."

So Ginny ended up heading to the Gryffindor commons room after dinner instead of back to Draco's room as she usually did. It was odd to be in the colorful, warm, cheerfully lit room she had once thought of as home for eight months of the year. Now it felt just as foreign to her as the Slytherin commons might, though perhaps not as hostile. Her appearance in her own house elicited quite a few stares and whispers, but a couple of well-placed glares from Hermione and they were quickly hushed. The girls made their way to Hermione's room, where she slept with only two other girls, both of whom were gone. The older girl went to her trunk, pulling it out from under her bed and opening it up. "Here. Pick something out."

Ginny knelt down by the trunk, rummaging through it. It wasn't much different from her own. Mostly school uniforms, though in better quality, along with some Muggle clothes and dress robes thrown into the mix. "Mione, I really don't know what I'm looking for."

Hermione sat on the bed, biting her lip. "Something, y'know, cute? How about this?" She held up a pair jeans and a shirt.

"I thought you said I was supposed to dress up?"

"Yeah…I guess you're right. Well, maybe this then?" She grabbed a grey pantsuit out.

"He's taking me on a date. I'm not running for Minister of Magic." Ginny sighed. "You're just as clueless about this as I am, aren't you?"

"No." The girl said defensively, pulling out a sunflower dress. "Oh, this would be so cute on you!"

"Hermione, it's snowing outside."

"Right. Well…Oh! I know. She kneeled down beside the trunk, rummaging around in it until she was up to her arm. It couldn't possibly fit that much clothing in it from the apparent outside size, but that was magic for you. Allowing girls to carry their whole wardrobes in one small trunk that slid under the bed. But in this case, Ginny was thankful for bottomless trunks, because Hermione seemed to be just as fashion forwardly minded as she was. Finally, after being waist deep in clothing, books, and scrolls for more than ten minutes, Hermione resurfaced, pulling up an outfit. It was a blue velvet, long-sleeved dress with a v-neck and flowy skirt that reached to Ginny's knees. It was warm enough that she was wouldn't freeze to death in the carriage but fancy enough to catch Draco's eye. "Now, do you have any shoes?" Hermione sat back, blowing her messy hair out of her face.

Ginny held out a foot garbed in an old, worn, faded pair of grey dress shoes. "Does this count?"

"I'll be right back." The girl dived back into the trunk.

Ginny sat back against the bed as she searched for whatever painful, foot-killing nightmare she had hidden in the depths of her trunk. She ran her fingers along the smooth surface of the dress as she spoke. "What am I going to do about Draco's gift? I completely forgot it was Valentine's day. I suck at this whole girlfriend business."

"Just get him something while you're in Hogsmeade."

"But I don't have any money. If I had remembered earlier I would have written Mum to send me a few galleons."

"Then, get him something else."

"Like what?"

The girl's muffled voice came from inside the trunk. "I know I had a pair of shoes in here somewhere from the Yuleball. Where are they?"

"Like what, Mione?" Ginny repeated, thinking the girl hadn't heard her.

"Aha!" She came up, a shoe held triumphantly in her hand. "Found it. It's a good think I listened to my mother and didn't leave them at home." She remembered Ginny's question. "You know. A personal gift."

"Personal how?"

"A _favor_, Ginny." Ginny stared at her in confusion, wondering why she put such an emphasis on the word favor.

"I still don't understand."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "A _sexual_ favor. People do it all the time as gifts."

Ginny blinked at her in shock. "They do?"

"Well, Ron and I do. And Muggles have whole stores devoted to it."

"How…how would you know?"

"Gin, what do you take me for? Just because I'm a model student, you don't honestly expect I never have sex with my boyfriend. Or that I don't enjoy it. I just don't do it in the middle of the corridors like other girls at this school."

"Eww…that's my brother you're talking about…so, what kind of sexual favors should I give someone on Valentine's day?"

"You know. Something romantic. Like, lighting up the whole room with candles. Or doing it in the shower." She glanced up at Ginny, who still had a confused look on her face. Hermione's eyebrows scrunched up as she thought. "Wait a minute…you and Draco have had sex, right?"  
Ginny's face felt suddenly very hot. "N-no…"

"Oh…oh, well, I expected you had." Why did Hermione seem so surprised?

"Why would you expect that?"

"Well, because you guys are so intimate. You have such a mature relationship. Whenever you're together you just seem to be…on the same wavelength, I guess. And I figured, since you lived together, that you'd have done it by now." Ginny shook her head, staring down at her feet. "So, how far _have_ you gotten?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…what have you done so far?"

"We've…kissed?"

Hermione gave her one of those looks that she only gave to people she thought were stupid. "Ginny, I've watched you kiss. I know that. I mean…have you seen him naked?"

"No!" Ginny thought about how Draco would look naked. She had seen him without a shirt on before. Countless times. He was damn sexy. How would he look without a shirt or pants on? Her whole body began to feel hot, not just her face.

"Okay, okay. Has he seen you naked?"

She almost said no, but stopped. She remembered the time, at the beginning of the year, that Draco saved Ginny from drowning herself in the prefect's bathroom. He'd told her later he'd been watching her bathe. So he'd seen her naked, just not the other way around. Ginny nodded.

"And he's touched you, right?"

"Yeah. He touches me all the time."

Hermione lifted an eyebrow skeptically. "Where?"  
The girl shrugged. "Everywhere. We're always touching each other."

"_Everywhere_?"

There was a long silence. "Well, not there!" She glanced down at her hips.

"Has he touched your breasts?"

"Not deliberately. Maybe accidentally."

"So…in other words…no."

"Yes. No."

The brunette began to giggle, then to laugh. "You guys have been sleeping in the same bed for months now and you're boyfriend hasn't even touched your breasts? Not even in his sleep? Haven't you waken up and felt him?"

"Felt him what?"

"Felt…his penis." Ginny ducked her head, embarrassed by even hearing the word. "Guys. In the morning. They…you know."

"No! None of that!" She found herself laughing as uncontrollably as her friend was. "I'm only seventeen! My mother would call me a scarlet woman if I was sleeping around with guys at seventeen."

"Ginny, it's not sleeping around if it's one person. Though, I guess for you, it literally is just sleeping. Besides, most girls have already lost their virginity by our age."

Ginny froze in her laughing, her smiling slipping off her face. Hermione realized her mistake immediately. "Ginny…I'm sorry. I didn't mean…You know what I meant. By choice."

The girl closed her eyes, biting her lip and turning her face away from her friend. When she turned back around, her smile was back. "If she heard you talking, my mum would call _you_ a scarlet woman."

"Ugh!" Hermione threw the shoe at her in mock offense, and the girls began to wrestle. When they were finished, Ginny lay on the floor on her back beside her friend, staring at the ceiling. "So what should I do for him?"

"Well, I'm not going to suggest you jump right in there and have sex if you haven't even seen him naked yet. So…how about a nice strip tease? Ron loves that."

"Eww…Mione. Brother."

"Right, right. I forgot."

They lay there in silence for a few minutes. "Hey, where's the other shoe?"

"Oh, drats! It's still in the trunk. Give me a second." She dove back in head first, searching for the matching heel.

Ginny folded her arms under her head, a smile on her face. It was dusk already. She'd spent the past few hours talking and laughing with her friend while they picked out clothes for her date. It was so very normal, and so very easy, that it surprised her. This was the sort of thing other girls did, not Ginny. But it had felt natural and fun, even. Ginny felt as if her life was finally starting to get back on track. She felt normal again. And it was a good feeling.


	24. Ready

A/N: Woot! Another chapter! This chapter is officially dedicated to my boyfriend. :) I've counted it out and it'll be about five more chapters before the end of the story. Bittersweet. I love this story so much, but I'm also ready to begin an original fiction that I hope to turn into a publishable novel. Well, have fun reading!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Come with me  
Into the trees  
We'll lay on the grass  
And let the hours pass  
Take my hand  
Come back to the land  
Let's get away  
Just for one day

Let me see you  
Stripped down to the bone  
(Let me hear you speaking  
Just for me)  
Let me see you  
Stripped down to the bone  
(Let me hear you crying  
Just for me)

Take my hand  
Come back to the land  
Where everything's ours  
For a few hours

-Stripped by Shiny Toy Guns (Depeche Mode Cover)

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Wow…you look…great." Draco sighed, leaning back against the carriage and staring at his girlfriend. They stood outside by the thestrals waiting for Hermione and Ron to arrive. Potter, thankfully, had decided to sit this one out. Draco didn't think he could stand to sit in the same carriage as the wonder boy for a bumpy fifteen minute ride up to Hogsmeade while the boy glared daggers at his ex-girlfriend and Draco, the man who had stolen her away. But Draco was souring his thoughts of how beautiful Ginny looked now. He went back to gazing at her in wonder.

Draco would definitely have to remember to thank Hermione for this outfit. The girl had shrunk her dress down to fit Ginny, and it hugged in all the right places, the velvety blue fabric clinging to her breast and hips and flaring out in a skirt that ended just above her knees. The v shaped neck was just low enough to reveal a bit of cleavage, teasing but innocent, just like Ginny herself. And the contrast of the dark blue to her pale white skin was eye-catching, especially when a few wet snowflakes fell into her hair, crowning her head in pieces of white fluff.

Ginny shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, biting her lip. "Do you think it's alright?" she whispered, touching the skirt shyly. "My feet are kind of cold in these heels."

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. "No wonder. Why'd you wear them if it was snowing out here?"

"I didn't have any nice shoes. Hermione lent them to me."

"You know you didn't have to dress up for me." Draco himself was just wearing his usual uniform pants and a warm wool sweater. "Not that it isn't appreciated. Here, you're shivering." He took off his cloak, wrapping it around her shoulders. "Why don't we get in the carriage?"

Draco helped her in, she was fairly unstable in the heels, and sat next to her, leaving the door open so Hermione and Ron could find them. "You do look amazing, though." He pulled Ginny against him with one arm and caught her lips with his. His free hand roamed up her thigh under the dress, wishing she wasn't wearing leggings. He wanted to be touching her bare skin, to lay her down on the seat and wrap her legs around him—

"Mmmhm." Someone coughed fakely in the doorway. Draco and Ginny jumped apart, expecting a professor, but a head of curly brown hair was entering the carriage, followed by bright red. Hermione and Ron sat across from them, Ron's eyes gazing in annoyance at where Draco's hand rested, Hermione simply gazing at Ginny. Draco didn't miss the wink she gave Ginny, making her blush. They pulled the door closed and the carriage jolted forward as the thestrals began to move.

"You look quite lovely, Ginny. Doesn't she look lovely, Ron?"

"Mmm. Yeah." Ron didn't take his eyes off of Draco, a sour look on his face.

"What did I say Ron? Be nice."

"Yeah, yeah."

Draco glanced at Ginny, who was gazing out the window at the snow-curtained trees. When she felt his gaze on her, she turned her eyes to his, a smile on his face. He took her hand silently, giving it a little squeeze. They rode into Hogsmeade a few minutes layer and got out of the carriage, the snow falling softly to the ground and covering the little town in a layer of white. Everything was decorated in pinks and reds for the holiday, a color combination that normally disgusted Draco and annoyed him, but for once he didn't mind. Perhaps it was because Ginny was with him or perhaps it was because they could make fun of the hearts and cupids and whatnot together, but whatever it was, it was a nice change from being alone on Valentine's day. He wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's waist, waving goodbye to Ron and Hermione and heading into the streets of Hogsmeade amidst hundreds of other Hogwarts' students.

They spent the afternoon in Hogsmeade. The two gazed at items in the shops, imagining how they would look in their home someday. They drank cocoa, a refreshing change from the usual pumpkin juice or cider served at school. The couple threw snowballs at each other and made snowmen and angels in the white powder that would soon be melted as spring rolled in. They sat outside a little café that played romantic music and danced, though their dancing was mostly just standing hold each other and swaying from side to side. As dusk descended they walked back to the castle instead of riding in the carriage, their hands laced together. When Ginny began to complain that her feet hurt, Draco hoisted her onto his back, her legs wrapped around his hips and arms around his chest, and carried her the rest of the way.

Dinner was already in progress in the Great Hall, but they decided to skip it, having already eaten a picnic in the snow. Draco carried Ginny all the way up to their room, not letting her down, despite her complaints, until they were back inside. He lowered her onto the couch and fell on top of her, trapping her small body under his playfully.

"Draco! Draco…get off!" She laughed, pushing at him. "You're heavy."

"Nuhuh. Not until you give me a kiss."

Ginny grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his head down. Their lips met and her tongue darted playfully in and out of his mouth, teasing him until he groaned and grabbed it between his teeth, holding it in place. His hands moved down from her hair to her neck, touching the bare skin of her exposed chest. Draco pulled away then, smiling at Ginny's pouting lips. "I almost forgot. I have a gift for you."

He jumped up, heading to the desk. "Gift? But…you haven't got any money for a gift."

"I know. I got it anyway." Draco pulled out a long, slender box, returning to Ginny. He knelt down on the floor in front of the couch, holding up the box. She took it cautiously, opening it up. Draco sat back on his heels, smirking. The look on her face was priceless. A mixture of surprise and happiness and disbelief. She removed the necklace from the box, holding it up. It glinted in the light of the fireplace, the heart-shaped locket spinning on the end of the chain.

"Draco…it's…"

He stood and circled around the couch, his chin resting on her shoulder, his lips to her ear. "Beautiful. I know. What can I say? I have as good of tastes in jewelry as I do in women."

She rolled her eyes, hitting him on the chest playfully. "How in the world could you afford this?"

He shrugged, brushing her hair out of the way and letting it rest on the opposite shoulder. "I have my ways," Draco whispered cryptically, taking the locket from her hands. He unclasped it and strung it around her neck gently, enjoying her slight shiver when the cold metal touched her neck.

Her hands froze in midair, as if they were still holding the necklace, and her shoulder stiffened. "You didn't…"

It took Draco a few moments to understand her line of thought. She thought he'd taken the money from Crabbe and Goyle's dead bodies. Blood money. "No, Ginny. Even I'm too proud for _their_ money."

"Then how…"

Draco sighed, kissing Ginny on the cheek. "You ruin a good secret, y'know? I'm _not_ too proud to borrow from your brothers. Fred and George lent me some galleons and made me promise to get you a nice gift for Valentine's day. I swore I would pay them back as soon as I could, but they insisted it was the least they could do for…for what I've done for you." He traced the chain down her neck to where it ended, the locket resting between her breasts, just under her clothes. "I will pay them back of course. I plan to get a job in Diagon Alley as soon as I get out of school and maybe get an apartment too. You could come live with me, if you like?"

"You don't want to come back to the Burrow with me?" Her voice sounded hurt and confused.

"I didn't say that. I just didn't want to overstay my invitation with your parents. Do you think they would mind…I mean, just until I got myself off my feet and made enough money to support you?"

"Support me?" She turned to him with a confused look on her face. "Why would you need to support me?"

He smiled, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. "I don't want to get married until I know I have enough money to take care of you. Our wedding should be perfect. I will spare no expense for you."

"Wedding?" She leaned away from him, her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean, wedding? We're not even engaged, Draco."

He bit his lip, a brush rising to his cheek. "Well…I mean…y'know…I just figured…someday…You don't have to marry me if you don't want to, Gin. I'm not forcing you to or anything. I just thought…since we love each other and all…that we would."

She shook her head, and he felt his heart begin to plummet. "No, no, Draco. I mean yes. I mean…" Ginny took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "Yes, of course I want to marry you. Someday. I wasn't saying I didn't want to. I was just surprised. I guess I didn't expect you would already have plans."

He sighed, feeling more at ease. "Well, plans, no. I just know I want it to be perfect. Whatever you want. However expensive or lavish. However simple and small. Whatever. I want to make it perfect for you. You deserve no less."

She smiled, glancing away shyly. "Most guys get scared when girls bring up marriage and weddings and children. And here I'm surprised that you're already planning ours."

"Well, I didn't say anything about children…" He grimaced, avoiding her eyes. Draco couldn't imagine sharing any of Ginny's attention with a child. Nor could he imagine bringing a smaller version of himself into the world.

"Oh yes. I want tons of them. My mother had seven. I wanted to at least match her. I was planning on shooting for ten, though." Draco's eyes widened at the thought of ten little silver and red haired runts running around their house. It ruined the perfect image he'd had of a large, beautiful home for just the two of them. Did she really want that many? He couldn't even imagine one or two. "Wow…you should see your face. You look like you're about to faint." Draco glanced up in surprise when Ginny began to giggle. As her giggle turned into a laugh, he grew more and more confused. "I was kidding Draco! I don't want ten children. I'm not sure I even want any children." She shook her head, her shoulders still shaking with mirth. "I like the chaos of home and all, but I enjoy the quiet of living with just you much better."

He scowled, his eyes narrowing. "That was a mean, cruel, low trick, Ms. Weasley. I take back my marriage proposal."

"What?!"

"You heard me. Gimme that necklace back." He held out a hand for it. She turned her back to him, crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head.

"No. It's a gift. You can't take it back."

"Oh yes I can. And I will." Draco leapt over the back of the couch, landing on Ginny and, for the second time that night, trapping her under him. As he tried to take the locket back from her she began to giggle, then to squirm. He opted instead to tickle her mercilessly, his hands immediately going to her midsection, his fingertips wiggling against the fabric of her dress until she was laughing so hard she could barely breathe, begging him to stop. Draco chuckled, resting his hands on either side of her head, trapping her body with his legs. She gazed up at him with bright eyes, her chest heaving from laughing, her hair wild and disheveled. Damn, she was sexy. She looked like she'd just been snogged senseless. In fact, he wanted to snog her senseless. Though it was just as nice to simply stare at her body lying under him.

"So, still want to marry me?" she whispered.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I guess. If I have to." He sighed in mock contempt.

"Well good. Because I have a gift for you. Get up." Although he was object to pull away from her, he was curious. Draco got off of Ginny, sitting back on the sofa. "Oh? What is it?"

"You'll see." Ginny stood, straightening her dress. She glanced at him, biting her lip. He waited expectantly. "Umm…it's kind of awkward."

"What is it, Gin?"

"It would be easier…if you took your shirt off."

He lifted an eyebrow, confused, but obliged. Draco pulled his shirt off over his head and leaned back, spreading his arms wide. "Alright? Why does this require me to remove my shirt?"

"Because…I didn't want to be the only one." He was about to ask her what she meant, the only one what, when she stepped back, out of his reach, that familiar shy look on her face. She removed each of the irritating high heels, then turned her back to him and began to unbutton her dress. Draco suddenly realized what she meant. Oh. She didn't want to be the only one naked.

Her dress slipped off of her shoulder and fell to the floor. His eyes widened in surprise, his hands clenching the couch. Draco's eyes traveled from the back of Ginny's head, following the long trail of her red, curly tresses down her smooth back. From this distance and in the low lighting her thin, white scars were practically unnoticeable, thought he occasionally caught a glimpse of them as his eyes roamed down to Ginny's bum, clad in a pair of white cotton panties. The innocence of it was sexier on Ginny than any clingy, expensive lingerie. His eyes roamed down her long, curvy legs, still clad in those annoying pantyhose, and he wanted nothing more than to rip them off of her.

Ginny turned slowly around, her arms crossed over her stomach shyly. His eyebrows lifted, his gaze locked with Ginny's chest. Her white bra matched her innocent panties and her crossed arms pushed her breasts together nicely. She shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, biting her lip, and he could do nothing more than stare open-mouthed and wide-eyed. He'd seen her naked before, but then he'd been spying on her while she bathed. He hadn't had much time to actually stare at her openly like this, and never before with her permission. And he couldn't pull his eyes away.

Ginny stepped forward, and he observed the way her thigh muscles moved when she did, the way her body shifted from side to side, the way her chest rose and fell with her breathing. Achingly slowly she rested each leg on either side of his and lowered her hips until her bum rested on his thighs. Her arms continued to stay crossed around her stomach self-consciously, and her eyes darted between his and the ceiling and the couch behind him and his bare chest. "What do you think?"

Draco's hands reached out, touching her arms gently. He took her hands, separating them, revealing her body to him fully. His fingertips glided down to her sides and finally her hips, where he let them rest. She swallowed and her breath came out shakily, making her chest quiver. Her arms rested limply at her sides as they had the first time he'd kissed her. He could feel her hips on his, the heat of her body just inches away, her breasts occasionally brush his bare chest. Draco considered unclasping her bra and letting her bare chest spill out, but he opted against it. He liked how teasingly cruel it was to stare at her half-naked. His back was no longer the only thing rigid and stiff, and he hoped she didn't notice.

"Draco?" She whispered. Ginny lifted a hand, touching his chest. Her hand ran down the thin line of hair that disappeared under his pants, and her fingertips glided over the buttons curiously. She reminded him of Pandora, tempted to open the box, but uncertain of the consequences it would bring. When her hand brushed his crotch accidentally he shuddered. She pressed her chest against his and began to lay gentle kisses along his neck, finally stopping where she felt his pulse where she nibbled softly at the skin. Draco groaned, his eyes rolling back and his head resting against the sofa. He didn't even notice she had unbuttoned his pants until he felt her fingertips brush against the lining of his boxers.

Draco sat up suddenly, grabbing Ginny and pushing her away from him. He closed his eyes, ignoring her protests, and bit his lip, trying to hold back the sudden urge to throw her down on the couch and shag her senseless. Damn! He'd never felt so horny in his life, nor so out of control. It took him a few minutes to finally calm down and regain his composure, and when he did Ginny was staring at him in hurt. "What? What did I do wrong, Draco?"

He gulped, smiling at her. "Nothing love…I just think maybe we should slow down a bit, no?"

Her head tilted to the side. "Slow down? Why?"

"Because it's really getting hard to resist you and act responsible."

"I don't want you to resist me." That devilish grin was back on her face. Damn her, the little nymph. As innocent as she looked in that white cotton underwear, she knew exactly what she was doing to Draco. Ginny's hands rested on his neck and she leaned forward to kiss him, but he held her back. She pouted. "Draco…I…I'm ready." She bit her bottom lip again. She did it on purpose, he was certain. She knew how much it drove him crazy. "I said I'd tell you when I was ready, and I am. I want to make love to you, Draco."

He closed his eyes again, trying to regain his composure and remind himself why he was resisting her. It took him a few tries, but he finally remembered. "You're not ready yet, love. Let's wait—"

"What?" He froze mid-sentence. There was a dangerous edge to her voice, and he wondered what he'd said wrong. "Do not presume to tell me whether I am or am not ready to have sex, Draco Malfoy. I am a grown woman and it is my decision to make. And I say I am."

He sighed. "I wasn't trying to put words in your mouth, Gin, or tell you how to feel. I just don't…after all you've been through…I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage of you. I don't want to do anything in any way that you'll end up regretting."

"You're not taking advantage of me Draco, and I won't regret it. I know what I want. I want you. I want you _now_."

"Yes, you do now, but will you feel the same in the morning? Will you feel the same a week from now or a month from now? I want our first time to be special. I want it to be perfect. For you." He lifted a hand, running it through her hair. "And besides…if you are ready, why do you look so afraid?"

She didn't have an answer to that. Ginny's shoulders drooped in defeat, and she leaned forward, resting her head on his shoulder. "I feel like you don't want me…I'm starting to wonder if you find me undesirable."

"Bullocks, Gin. You know that's not true. It's taking every ounce of effort not to jump you right now."

She chuckled. "Then why aren't you?"

"Because I can't, Gin. I can't even have sex with you. Even if we were ready to."

"Why not?"

He sighed. "Protection, Gin. I don't want to get you pregnant."

Her eyes widened and she sat up. "Oh! I didn't even think of that!"

"See. All the more reason you aren't really ready yet."

She lay back down beside him. "So…when are we going to…?"

"As soon as I find some way to protect us."

She laughed at the resoluteness of his voice and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Well, hurry up."

"They don't exactly hand out contraceptive potions at the hospital wing, you know. I'm going to have to figure out some other way."

"I stand by what I said. I want you, Draco. And I don't want to wait much longer."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco knocked on Snape's door, yawning tiredly. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night. It was practically impossible when he was horny and had the object of his affections pressed up against him all night, murmuring in her sleep and brushing against him teasingly. But he had gotten up early this morning before she was awake to ask this favor of Snape. "Come in."

Draco pushed the heavy dungeon door open and closed it behind him. He wasn't surprised to see Snape awake and fully-dressed at seven in the morning, drinking his tea and reading a book on deadly potions. The man didn't even look up when Draco came in. "Draco. What can I do for you?"

Draco shifted uncomfortably, gazing around the professor's private quarters. They were dark and dreary, much like the man himself. A simple bed pushed in the corner, a desk scattered with papers to be graded, a potion's table taking up much of the room, the surface burnt and scarred, on which sat a bubbling cauldron. A shelf of books, another of potions and ingredients, and a third of unusual and gruesome magical items. Draco paced the room nervously and Snape, per usual, did not interrupt him, but instead waited patiently for the boy to gather his thoughts. "I have a…favor to ask of you. Friend to friend."

Severus lifted an eyebrow, folding the corner of the page he was on and setting the book on the table. He lounged back, resting his chin on his hand. "Yes? You know I am here for you. Anything you need. Money, protection, someone to talk to."

"No…none of that…I need you to teach me a spell."

"I'm going to assume this is about Ms. Weasley." Draco nodded. "Of course. What will it be, then? A defensive spell?"

"Yes…of sorts."

Severus lifted an eyebrow. "Are you sure you would not like me to teach you the Killing Curse?"

Draco paused, glancing at the man in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Snape sighed, going to his desk and picking up the paper. He tossed it on the table before resuming his seat. Draco glanced at the cover. "Man found dead in Gringotts' bank."

"Wouldn't you know…it's one of the same men that was at trial this winter for the rape of Ginny Weasley. Another recently went missing a few weeks ago. They searched all over Wizarding England for him, he was due in court for yet another rape trial, but could not find him. They assume he ran away to avoid Azkaban."

"What are you implying, Severus?" Draco asked, looking away.

"Don't play those games with me, Draco." Snape's tone was sharp and biting. The boy glanced at his professor in surprise. "I know you better than anyone else, besides, perhaps, Ms. Weasley. This has your touch to it."

"What do you mean, _my touch_?"

Snape smiled. "Perfectly planned out and untraceable." He began to chuckle, and Draco joined him. "I knew it was you from the beginning. To be honest, I wondered why you hadn't killed them earlier. I'm not judging you for anything Draco. But you must remember that I am your friend. You don't have to lie to me."

Draco nodded, sitting down across from the man. "Thank you, Severus."

"Now, what was that spell you wanted me to teach you?" Snape lifted an eyebrow over his tea.

Draco felt a blush rise to his face. He pulled at the collar of his shirt nervously. "Ehh, about that…It's…personal."

Severus set down his tea cup. "I'm listening."

"I…I need you to teach me a contraceptive spell."

Snape began to cough, and Draco was afraid he was choking on his tea. He stared at Draco in surprise, sitting back. "A contraceptive spell? Then we certainly are speaking of Ms. Weasley."

"Yes."

Severus was silent for a few minutes. "Draco…Again, I am not making any judgments on you, but…are you certain she is ready for such a thing? I do not want you to force her to do anything. You know how fragile she is."

Draco ran his hands through his hair. "She asked me, Snape."

"Ahh…I see. And you told her no, of course?"

"Of course. One, I know she isn't really ready. Not yet. And two, I didn't have anything to protect us from getting pregnant. I'm not ready to bring a child into this world. I don't think I'll _ever_ be ready for that."

Severus nodded. "Right…and you turned to me? An unmarried, childless, single bachelor who lives in a dungeon and spends his free time brewing potions?"

"It was my only option. You're not exactly a stud, but I thought you might be able to help."

Snape smiled and stood, going to his shelf. He scanned it before grabbing a large tome and bringing it back to the table. The man flipped through it in silence while Draco waited patiently, finally finding the page he was looking for. "Well, let's begin, shall we. I'm sure you're ready to learn as soon as possible."

"That's an understatement," Draco murmured, pulling out his wand and copying Snape's movements.


	25. Trapped

A/N: Here's chapter 25! Enjoy!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Somewhere beyond happiness and sadness  
I need to calculate what creates my own madness  
And I'm addicted to your punishment  
And you're the master, and I am waiting for disaster

I feel irrational, so confrontational  
To tell the truth I am getting away with murder  
It is impossible to never tell the truth  
But the reality is I'm getting away with murder

I drink my drink and I don't even want to  
I think my thoughts when I don't even need to  
I never look back cause I don't even want to  
And I don't need to, because I'm getting away with murder

-Getting Away With Murder by Papa Roach

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

The boy's eyes opened slowly. They were glazed over with the drug they had given him, and it took him a few minutes to become fully conscious. When he did, Draco, Charlie, and Ron were waiting. They sat on storage crates around the cage, Ron pacing, Charlie cleaning under his fingernails with a pocket knife, and Draco staring silently at the moon. They heard him groan in pain as he felt the throbbing in his head and stood. Blaise Zabini's eyes caught sight of Draco first. "You…what the hell are you doing here?"

Draco lifted an eyebrow, looking around him. They sat in the thick, cold Romanian woods, alone, though there was a camp for wizards such as Charlie to study dragons twenty kilometers west and the school known as Durmstrang a few kilometers east. They sat in front of a huge cage, in which slept a dragon, kept dormant by a stronger drug than they had used on Zabini. Opposite the cage Zabini was tied to a large tree.

"I think the question you should be asking…is what are _you _doing here, Zabini?" Draco whispered, glancing lazily at him.

The boy smirked. "You're here to kill me. I'm not stupid. I heard about Crabbe going missing and Goyle 'breaking' into Gringotts. I knew you were coming for me. I just want you to know, you'll never get away with it."

"Won't we?" Draco asked. "A dragon escaped from its cage. It attacked Durmstrang school for boys. At least one student was tragically burned to death."

"Yeah right. Like anyone would believe that." He sneered. "I see two major flaws in your plan, Malfoy. One, I'm here, not anywhere near the castle. Two, a dragon would have no reason to attack me unprovoked. And if you do provoke it, who's to say it wouldn't turn on you?"

"Very good observations indeed." Draco ambled towards Zabini. "But in the chaos of a dragon attack on a school, I doubt anyone would notice us subtly place a body somewhere on the grounds. Especially if we're hiding under an Invisibility Cloak. And the dragon would have no reason to attack us. We're not the ones holding its treasure." Draco touched the golden amulet hanging around Zabini's neck. "Dragons don't like it when you steal their treasure, Zabini. Tsk tsk."

"What?!" The boy grimaced, glancing down at his neck, then at the sleeping dragon. "You bastard!"

"I'm the bastard am I?!" Draco wheeled around, slamming his fists against the tree on either side of Zabini's face. "I'm not the one who raped a sixteen year old girl. Who stole her virginity and tried to take her life. Who tortured her mercilessly for the sheer pleasure of hearing her scream." Draco took a deep breath to calm himself. "I have a question to ask you before you die, Zabini. Who was the other rapist?"

The boy chuckled, shaking his head. "As if I would tell you."

"I have my methods of persuasion." Draco grabbed one of the boy's hands, grasping a single slender finger. In a quick motion, he broke it at the knuckle. Zabini screamed in pain, thrashing to get away from him, but to no avail. "Tell me, Zabini."

"No." Another finger. Draco commanded him again. "Fuck you, Malfoy!" His voice was becoming more strained from the pain. A third finger. He was crying now. But still he refused. "You can break all my damn fingers, but I'll never tell you. That stupid bitch deserved what he gave her, and I hope he gets her again. She wasn't even a good fuck."

Draco lifted a hand to strike him, but a hand on his arm held him back. "Draco, we don't have much time. We must follow our plans. He won't tell, there is no point in forcing him." Charlie's soothing voice calmed him, and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, ignoring Zabini's chuckles.

"Every bit of pain you inflicted on her, you will feel a thousand times over, Zabini. I want to hear you laughing then." He dropped his fist and stepped away from the tree. Ron followed him, getting as far away from the cage as they could while still keeping Zabini in sight. Charlie awoke the dragon, pulling open the huge cage.

The dragon took a few minutes to awaken fully. When it had, it stepped out of the cage, stretching its gigantic wings and letting out a roar. Charlie got its attention, and with some persuasion, directed it towards the boy tied to the tree. With its sharp eyes and incredible sense of smell, it did not take the dragon long to realize the boy wore its treasure. It turned its massive head slowly to look at Zabini and stalked towards him, snorting hot smoke out of its nostrils. Draco saw Zabini noticeable shaking against the tree, his face contorted in fear. The dragon reared up, whipping out its front leg. The claw snatched into Zabini's chest, tearing through his shirt and flesh, blood spurting out of him. As the dragon fell back to the earth, a long stream of fire left its nostrils.

The smell of burnt hair and flesh filled Draco's nose. He watched as the entire tree caught on fire, the bright orange and red flames licking up into the branches, and heard the dying screams of the boy. He did not pull his eyes away, he could not, but only watched with an odd sense of awe and satisfaction as, through the orange and gold flames licking up the tree, the flesh burn off of the boy, leaving him nothing but a raw, burnt husk of muscle and bone, his eyes and mouth gone, his voice dying out into nothing. Draco stared as the flames ate the boy alive with the satisfaction that a devil would. A smile curled up on his lips.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny made her way down the hall, her jacket under her arm, a smile on her face. She headed for the nearest door that would take her outside to the grounds and lake, where other students were already enjoying the warm spring air. It was March 1, and, as if on queue, the weather had turned suddenly warm, the snow had melted to patches of wet, muddy slush, the sun had emerged from behind the heavy, dark clouds of winter, and a few brave buds had poked their heads out of the freshly turned earth. None of the students could concentrate during classes, their eyes straying every few minutes to the windows, their bodies longing to soak up the sun before the night blew in cold air from the mountains and it was all covered once more by a sheet of ice. As soon as the bell had rung signaling the end of afternoon classes, the students had swarmed outside in a rush, Ginny along with them, though she'd opted to drop off her books in her room first. Draco was already waiting for her outside, and she wanted to lay with him in the grass and enjoy the sunshine.

The halls were fairly empty by now, especially this obsolete one off by itself in a corner of the school. She didn't have any classes down here, she didn't even think there were any classrooms here, but she knew there was a door leading out to the grounds and the Green Houses, and that most Herbology students took the route to avoid the chaos of the main halls. Ginny was almost to the exit when she heard a voice behind her calling her name. She turned, expecting it was someone she knew, but grimaced when her eyes landed on the speaker.

Ugh. Pug-faced Pansy. She was certainly someone Ginny did not want to have an encounter with right now. Her day had been so perfect until she's set eyes on the ugly, annoying girl. "What do you want, Parkinson? I'm busy."

"I'd like to have a word with you, Weasley." The girl put her hands on her hips, a smirk on her face. She was alone for once, without her entourage of annoying, slimy Slytherins.

"About? I'm a bit busy."

"Oh, well, I promise not to take up too much of your time. If you don't mind, I'd rather keep this private." With a sweeping motion of her arm she invited Ginny into the classroom in which she now stood. Ginny glanced over her shoulder at the dark, dusty, unused room.

"I think I'll stay out here, thank you."

"What? Afraid of me?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Fine. But it's about this." She held up a Daily Prophet. From this far away, Ginny couldn't read it. She cautiously stepped closer, holding out a hand, but the girl refused to hand it to her. Finally, she was able to get a good look at it. There was a picture of Durmstrang on the front, she'd never seen it before, but she'd heard descriptions, and the captions gave it away. "Durmstrang attacked by escaped dragon, one death." She turned her eyes away from the picture of a dragon breathing fire on the school.

"I don't see what this has to do with me, Parkinson."

"Oh, but I think you do."

"And what is that?" Ginny crossed her arms over her chest, lifting an eyebrow to challenge her.

Parkinson stepped closer, until they were nose to nose.

"Because the boy that was killed was my boyfriend, Blaise Zabini."

Ginny lifted her chin defiantly. She already knew this, of course. She'd known for a week, long before the paper had been issued. Draco had told her his deeds, had ensured her that he'd covered everything up nicely, and that, besides Zabini's charred remains, they would find no other bodies. Ginny was thankful no innocents had been hurt. "I'm sorry for you loss," she said, though there was not an ounce of pity or remorse in her voice. "Now if you don't mind—"

As Ginny turned to leave, she felt a tug on her hair, and she was sent flying backwards. She stared up at Pansy Parkinson from the floor, the girl standing over her body with a glare. "You're boyfriend killed my Blaise. I don't know how, but I know he did."

"Well go tell you're theories to the aurors. See if they give a shit. Because I don't." Ginny tried to sit up, but the girl pushed her back down, her heel digging into Ginny's chest.

"I don't think you understand. My lover is dead. And for what? For fucking an ugly bitch like you?" She grabbed Ginny by the shirt, lifting her up, and pushed her backwards, into the small classroom. Ginny stumbled and fell onto a pile of chairs, and when she managed to pull herself out of them, Parkinson stood in the door, her wand raised. Ginny fumbled for her own, but could not find it. She cursed herself for her own stupidity; she'd left it back in her room, thinking she would not need it if she was only going to spend an afternoon lazing around in the grass by the lake.

"What are you going to do, Parkinson? Curse me? Kill me? I think that will be a bit hard to explain." She tried to keep her voice steady, though her heart was pounding so hard in fear she was certain the girl heard it.

"Oh no. I told you I would get you when you least expected it, didn't I? Well, I found a way that is much better than cursing or murdering you." A smirk lifted on her lips. "Though you'll wish you were dead." The girl lifted her wand, sending a spell flying over Ginny's head. Ginny ducked to avoid it, and when she looked up again, the door was closed, and Parkinson was gone.

Ginny rose to her feet, glancing around the room. At first she felt only annoyance and confusion, but as the seconds stretched on, a new sensation dawned on her. That of being watched. Of someone else in the room with her. She turned slowly, a heavy feeling of dread coming over her heart.

A black cloak swished around heavy boots. Her eyes traveled up the cloak slowly, the body before her clad all in black. The sun shining through the windows was a contrast to the darkness, and cast a strange halo around him, reminding her of an angel of death. Her eyes rose to the face, or where the face would be, anyway, but his head was covered in a hood, concealing his face in shadows. When he stepped forward, a sliver of light reached into the hood, lighting it up what lie beneath. A mask, its expression contorted in greed, mirth, cruelty, and hatred. A Death Eater mask. And set deep in that mask, a brilliantly bright pair of icy blue eyes. "Hello Ginny. At last, we meet again."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco lay in the grass, the warm sun making his body feel hot and sticky, even though he didn't wear a shirt. Ginny lay beside him on her back, her red hair fanned out beneath her, completely naked but for her white cotton panties. Draco sat up, staring at the girl beside him. She seemed to glow, no, sparkle, in the sunlight. Her pale white skin was tantalizing against the green backdrop of the dewy grass. Her red hair glinted like the bright flames Draco stared into a week ago. Her finger pulled at a blade of grass, and her toes curled in the lake's cool water that occasionally reached up to grab at them.

Draco watched as a bead of sweat formed at the base of her neck. Mesmerized, he studied it as it traced its way down her chest, like a river flowing between the mountains of her breasts. It stopped at her belly button, forming a small lake in the tiny hole, but Draco's eyes did not. They traveled even further down, to Ginny's small hips, the curve of her thighs as they arched into the air, her knees bent at an angle, casting shadows on the grass. Draco leaned over the girl, hands on either side of her, and lowered his face, his lips brushing hers.

Her brown eyes opened slowly, the long lashes sweeping over her cheeks like a painter's brush, and she smiled up at him. "Draco." His name whispered on the wind. "Draco." She reached up a hand to tangle it in his long hair. Then she slapped him.

Draco sat up with a startled yelp. The sun was blindingly bright, and he had to shield his eyes against it. It took him a few moments to get his bearings and realize that, although he had been lying in the grass, Ginny was not lying naked beside him, and that her "slap" had been the splash of cold water on his face. He searched for the person who had woken him from his dream, and his eyes landed on Neville Longbottom, who had his pant's legs pulled up to his knees and was splashing in the water with Loony Luna.

"Oi, sorry about that, Malfoy. Didn't mean to get you wet." The boy glanced nervously at Draco, as if to gauge his anger. He, like many Gryffindors, still wasn't sure what to think about Draco's new-found interest in Ginny or the fact that he sat with Gryffindor house rather than Slytherin during meals.

"What time is it?" Draco asked with a yawn.

The boy glanced at his watch. "Just past five o'clock. We should probably head in for dinner now, Luna."

"Five?!" Draco shot up, fully awake now. "Ginny was supposed to meet me here an hour ago."

They glanced at him in surprise, confused by his outburst. "Well, maybe she changed her mind?"

"Perhaps she was eaten by a Crumple-Horned Snorkack," Luna pointed out helpfully.

"No…she wouldn't change her mind without telling me." Draco's eyes swept over the grounds, just in case he'd missed her. There were plenty of students out, but none with Ginny's tell-tale fiery red hair. "Did you guys see her?"

Neville shook his head uselessly. Luna smiled up at him. "Oh. Now that I think about it…I did see her just a few minutes ago. I think."

"Where was she?"

"She was talking to that Slytherin girl…the one who looks like one of those dogs with a squished in face."

"Pansy Parkinson?"

"Maybe…they didn't seem to be getting along, at any rate. Looked like they were going to have a nasty fight, they did. I didn't think much of it."

"Where was she?" Draco repeated his question.

"You know, you shouldn't dismiss Crumple-Horned Snorkacks so easily. They can be very dangerous—" Draco grabbed the girl by the shoulders, shaking her.

"I said, where the hell is she?!"

"Oh. Over by the Green Houses. The old hallway we use as a short-cut from Divinations." The girl continued to ramble on, but Draco didn't hear the rest of it. He took off running, heading for the Green Houses, which were, thankfully, not far away. Knowing Ginny, she was waist deep in trouble by now.


	26. Unclean

A/N: I was originally going to make Chapter 25 and 26 one chapter, but they ended up being long enough for two separate ones. I love this song. It's so perfect for this chapter.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

How do you hold the special victim  
When they push you away  
When they've been  
Raped on the inside  
Torn on the outside  
The dirt and ugly from the stain that they try to hide  
Touched in private places  
Embarrassed faces  
To scared to ask for help

I'm wishing the bath water clean  
She hides in the back and is unseen  
I take off the mask that surrounds me  
Look me in the face  
What do you see

-Angel by Blue October

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny stepped backwards, shaking her head in disbelief. No. It wasn't possible. He couldn't possibly be here.

"Oh, but it is, Ginny. It is very possible. You knew I was a student, after all. You knew I had to be in the school. Just because you did not discover my true identity does not mean I stopped existing."

The girl tripped on an overturned chair, falling to the floor. She continued backing up, this time on all fours, trying to get away from him. He slowly meandered towards her, taking his time, enjoying her fear. The man spun his wand between his hands, a cruel smirk planted on his mouth. Ginny's back hit the door, and she froze.

"Why do you look so frightened? Aren't you excited by our reunion, Ginny? Haven't you missed me?"

Ginny rose up slowly, as if afraid any sudden movements would provoke him to attack. She felt the door behind her, searching for the handle. Finally, her hand rested on the cold metal knob.

"Go ahead. Turn it Ginny. See how far it gets you." He stopped in his progression, waiting.

Ginny spun around, yanking at the handle, but the door did not budge. She twisted it back and forth, pulling, then pushing, to no avail. Finally, she stopped bothering, and instead resorted to pounding on the wood of the door itself and screaming at the top of her lungs. "Please! Help me! Let me out! Please! He's in here! He's in here! Help! Hel—"

A sudden weight slammed her into the door, quieting her. His body pressed against her from behind, his arms trapped her, his hand clamped over her mouth to silence her. "Ginny…I've missed hearing you scream. You have no idea how much."

"Please. Please stop. Please don't do this." The tears were running down her face now, a steady stream. Her voice was muffled from his hand, and she was finding it harder and harder to breathe. Her chest heaved for air, she tried to calm herself, to keep her head, but her body shuddered at his touch.

"You know I can't do that, Ginny." He whispered in her ear. "You know how much I want this. How much _you_ want this."

She shook her head, and he spun her around, slamming her against the door. His hands pinned her arms above her body, and he leaned forward, breathing in her scent. The man licked her cheek, making her shrink away from him in disgust. "Did I ever tell you how crazy you make a man?"

"Get away from me." Her voice sounded weak and pathetic to her ears. He chuckled in amusement.

"But Ginny, you know you can't resist me. The first time we made love…it was pure bliss."

Ginny's teeth gritted, and she glared at him. "I _never_ made love to you! You are a sick, perverted, bastard! _You raped me_!"

He grabbed her, pulling her away from the door and throwing her. Ginny tumbled to the floor, scraping her knees and elbow as she tried to catch herself. He kicked her in the gut before she could stand, and as she curled up to protect herself, climbed on top of her. "Don't lie to yourself, Ginny. You're nothing but a dirty, nasty whore, and you got what you deserved." The man grabbed her face, turning it towards him. "You're tainted. Soiled. Used. No matter how much you try to convince yourself otherwise, you are and always will be. So stop trying to fight it." He forced his lips onto hers, invading her mouth with his tongue. She pushed at him, trying to get him off of her, but he was too heavy, too strong. Ginny felt her strength, her resolve weakening. She felt the numbing fear set in. She couldn't fight him. She was powerless. He would take her again, like he had before. He would kill her this time. He wouldn't fail.

No. No, she had to fight back. She had won three battles already. Three of them were dead. He was just one man. The odds were even again. She could fight back. She could win. She had to. She couldn't endure it a second time. She would certainly die, certainly kill herself, if he touched her again. If he raped her again. Ginny pushed against him with all her might, and for a few seconds, they were locked in a wrestle, fighting for dominance. And then she threw his arms off of her, grabbing at his face and tearing into his skin. Her fingers groped for the edge of his mask and the grasped it, yanking it off.

Ginny stared into the black void of nothingness. There was no mouth with which to kiss her. No frightening blue eyes to see her. No nose or ears. No face at all. It was as if she had replaced his Death Eater mask with another one, completely black, completely empty. It wasn't possible, that this nothingness should exist, that he should wear it for a face. It wasn't possible, and it baffled her beyond her comprehension. Sent her mind reeling. It wasn't possible. Where was his face? He really was nothing but a faceless phantom. Faceless.

Ginny's limbs felt numb and heavy. She couldn't fight him off as he grabbed at her shirt. She heard the ripping sound, though she did not feel his hands on her. She was too shocked to feel anything. She could do nothing more than stare in horror. Where was his face? His face…

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco burst into the hall, staring around him. He was blind with rage, but his eyes finally found Parkinson, leaned against a door, a smile on her face. She looked up when she heard him, and their eyes locked.

Draco stalked forward, but the girl did not move. "What…did you do…with Ginny?"

Her jaw set in a firm line, and she lifted her chin. "What did you do with Blaise?"

"Where is she?!" Draco roared, pulling out his wand. He could feel the Cruciatus on the tip of his tongue. A scream cut through his enraged mind. He glanced over the girl's shoulder, past her, to the closed door. She swallowed audibly, biting her lip. "Move."

She needed no more incentive. The girl darted out of the way. Draco ran for the door, throwing an opening spell at the lock as he went. He fell inside, his wand at the ready, and froze at the scene he saw.

Ginny lay on the floor on her back, her face contorted with fear, tears streaming out of her eyes. Her shirt was ripped open, revealing her chest, and her skirt was pulled up to her hips. A figure clad in black leaned over her, his hand on her bare stomach. Draco lifted his wand, ready to curse the man, but he stood slowly, of his own accord. "Show your face, you son of a bitch! I want to see your face while I kill you!"

He lifted his hands in surrender, turning slowly. Draco's eyes widened, and his mouth dropped in surprise. Long, silver hair cascaded down the man's shoulders. Her pale face and thin lips were set in a stern line. His eyes, nearly identical to Draco's, danced with laughter. In his right hand he held a black cane with a silver serpent's head at the top. "Lucius?"

"Draco, Draco, Draco. What have I told you about interrupting me when I'm busy, Draco?"

"What…what the hell are you doing here, Lucius? What were you doing to Ginny?" Draco pointed his wand at his father with renewed vigor.

"I always did like them young, Draco."

"I'll kill you you asshole!" In his peripheral vision, Draco watched Ginny stand and shakily pull her torn shirt around her breasts. Before he could stop her, she ran out of the room. Draco turned to yell at her to wait for him, he didn't want her alone with that bitch Parkinson, but she was gone.

"Draco, haven't I taught you anything? _Never_ turn your back on your opponent!" Draco's eyes widened as the sickening blow struck him in the back of the neck. He fell to the ground, grabbing at his head to shield himself from another strike. The back of his head was wet. Damn. He was bleeding.

The second blow wasn't as bad as the first. It slammed into Draco's back. It didn't break through the skin, but it would give him a hell of a bruise later. He curled into a ball, letting the hits pound down on him, as his mind raced. Why would his father be here? In Hogwarts? How did he get in? How was he not noticed? And why would he be doing that to Ginny?

The thought flashed through his mind for an instance, that Ginny's rapist was not a student, but his father, but he quickly dismissed it. It made no sense. The night Ginny was raped, Lucius was home. It was a particularly harsh beating he remembered receiving from the man. And besides, Lucius had grey eyes, like Draco's. Not blue.

And now that Draco thought about it, how could Lucius possibly pay a visit to him here? In the middle of the school year? In Voldemort's prime? He was permanently assigned to the task of infiltrating the Ministry from the inside. He didn't have time to Draco or his girlfriend, no matter how much he wanted to terrorize them. And even if he did, it would have been impossible for him to get past the wards, a Death Eater, without being noticed.

It didn't add up. None of this made sense. How was his father here? Why was his father here? Unless…unless the man beating him right now wasn't his father. Unless the man beating him right now wasn't a man at all.

As the cane came down for another swing, Draco reached up, grabbing it in his hand. Their eyes met, Draco's and Lucius's, and he saw through the deception easily. It was simple, once you knew what you were looking for, to know whether or not you were dealing with a boggart. No matter how your fears manifested themselves onto the creatures, there were always obvious flaws, little glimmers of magic, around the edges. Draco smirked, pointing his wand at the creature, and yelled, "Riddikulus!"

The snake-head cane morphed into a real snake, and Draco dropped it. It turned on its master, biting at his face, and it took all the false Lucius's energy to keep it at bay. Draco rolled to his feet, running out the door, looking both ways for Ginny. He cursed. She could be anywhere by now.

A squeal of fear to his right drew his attention. Pansy Parkinson was slumped against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible so she was not seen. Draco stalked forward, the anger burning in his chest, his wand raised. "Which way did she go?" She opened her mouth to speak, but her lips trembled, and no sound came out. Draco grabbed her by the throat, squeezing her neck in an iron grip. "Answer my question."

She shook her head, grabbing at his hand, trying to pull it off. The longer he held her, the bluer her face became. She lifted a hand, pointing down the hallway to his left. He did not let her go. Instead, Draco leaned in, his face inches from hers. "If you _ever_ so much as breathe her name again, I will make sure it will be the last breath you take. What happened to Zabini will seem like a walk in the park compared to what I'll do to you." The girl nodded in understanding, and Draco dropped her neck, letting her collapse to the floor gasping for breath.

He spun on his heels and sprinted down the hall after Ginny. Draco called out her name, but it was useless. She either didn't hear him because she was too far away, or she ignored him. He had to know where she would go and head in that direction rather than follow her through the labrynth of corridors and moving staircases that was Hogwarts.

So, where would Ginny go if she'd just almost been raped, again, by a boggart that took on the appearance of her worst nightmare? She would feel vulnerable and afraid in the very least. Perhaps harmful to herself if she didn't truly understand the situation. But she most certainly would want to be alone, away from any people, somewhere secluded where she could hide in her own dark thoughts and fear.

His mind immediately went to the best place to do so. The prefect's bathroom. She would hide out in there. Draco turned right, taking the shortest route he knew. It was another ten minutes before he made it to the bathroom, and when he finally did, he had to stop to catch his breath. The sound of running water and sobbing met his ears, and he took a deep breath, steadying himself for what he might find. Draco opened the door slowly, poking his head in.

The bathroom was empty, thankfully. He could see the taps running from where he stood, but he couldn't see Ginny. Her clothes lay in a pile on the floor, so she must be sitting down in the base of the giant tub. Draco closed the door silently behind him and locked it, sealing it with a silencing charm. He had a feeling this was going to be traumatic, and if he didn't want to be accused of rape himself, he was going to need to make sure Ginny could scream and cry all she wanted without anyone interrupting them.

"Ginny?" Draco called out gently. He didn't get an answer. He stepped forward in trepidation, glancing over the rim of the pool. As he had thought, Ginny sat in the bottom, the water up to her chest and continuing to fill the tub, a bar of soap and hand towel in her hands. She was scrubbing at her arms furiously, with such vigor that they had turned raw and red and begun to bleed in some places. As she did this, she rocked back and forth, emitting the occasional sob.

Draco grimaced. He grabbed his shoes and socks, pulling them off of his feet and setting them beside her clothes. Draco tossed his robe, shirt, and tie as well, and, rolling his pants legs up to the knees, gently stepped into the water. It was scalding hot, but he ignored the painful heat, and instead focused on Ginny. She didn't notice his presence, not even when he stood less than a meter from her.

It wasn't until he gently laid a hand on her shoulder that she reacted, and in the way he had feared worst. She let out an ear-piercing shriek and jerked away from him, thrusting her arms out as if to fight him off. Draco stepped forward slowly, his arms open wide, and tried to console her with his voice, but it seemed to only make her reaction worse. The more he tried to wake her from her nightmare, the more she fought against him, until he was waist deep in water with his arms wrapped around the girl as she pounded uselessly on his chest and screamed for him not to hurt her, not to rape her. Draco winced with each hit, not because it physically hurt him, but because he felt her pain, her suffering. And because she could not even see the difference between him and her rapist.

Finally, the punches slowed to a stop, and she collapsed against him, sobbing openly. She still did not speak, and whether she had finally realized it was Draco holding her, or simply had stopped caring who it was, he wasn't sure. He held her to his chest, rocking her back and forth to soothe her, stroking her wet red hair comfortingly. They stood there for nearly half an hour, not speaking, not thinking, simply feeling. Finally, her sobs died down to the occasional shudder, and she wrapped her arms around him in return.

"Draco?" Ginny whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Is it you, Draco?"

"Yeah, it's me, Gin."

"He…he was here, Draco. _Him._ He was raping me."

"No, Ginny. It wasn't real." He held her out at arm's length, staring sadly into her eyes.

She looked so distraught, so confused and helpless. "B-but…but I saw him. I felt him. He kissed me. He…he touched me. He told me things."

"It wasn't real, Gin. It was a boggart. A creature that manifests itself as your worst fear."

"But…" Her eyes opened in understanding. "That's…that's why he didn't have a face?"

Had Ginny's boggart had no face? It would be understandable, considering she didn't know who the man was that she feared. "Yes, Gin. That's why."

"Then…what happened to him…it?"

"When I came into the room it turned into my father. I realized it was a boggart and used a counter spell on it."

"But…it touched me…it said things…"

"Where did it touch you, Gin?" She looked away from him, her lips trembling. Ginny held up a hand, touching her cheek, her hair, then her chest. "Did it touch you anywhere else?" She shook her head. "Did it…?" He couldn't bring himself to say the word rape.

"No." The relief in her voice comforted him, and she collapsed into him once more, holding him tightly, for dear life. With the same vigor that she had been punching him just moments ago she now embraced him. "But the things it said, Draco. The same things that _he_ said."

"Just memories, Gin. Just memories of your rapist."

"It said I was dirty. I'm tainted. I'm tainted because he raped me."

"No, Ginny. You know that's not true." Draco bit his lip. How he wished he could wash these thoughts, these beliefs, from her mind.

"But it is! I am! I'm dirty! I was…I was trying to clean myself. To wash him off of me." She reached a hand out for the soap, but Draco pulled it away.

"No, Ginny. You're hurting yourself. You're rubbing your skin raw."

"But I want to be clean, Draco." Her voice made his heart break. She was practically begging him to let her hurt herself. Draco felt tears spring to his eyes. "I'm so…tainted. Draco…please…please make me clean again Draco."

Draco closed his eyes, breathing in a shaky breath. "Gin…"

"Please. Draco."

He sighed, feeling his resolve weaken. Draco loved her, he couldn't deny her. Whatever she wanted, whatever he needed, he would do for her. When it came to Ginny's needs, Draco was powerless. He nodded, taking her hands and pulling her towards the edge of the tub.


	27. Healing

A/N: **WARNING: ADULT CONTENT**

Alright, this is the only other chapter where I will give warning of adult themes (ie. sex). I will not put anything plot significant in this chapter, so all of you innocent virgins can cover your eyes and close out the little screen now. The rest of you perverts, read and enjoy. ;P

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

One mile to every inch of  
Your skin like porcelain  
One pair of candy lips and  
Your bubblegum tongue

Something 'bout the way the hair falls in your face  
I love the shape you take when crawling towards the pillowcase  
You tell me where to go and  
Though I might leave to find it  
I'll never let your head hit the bed  
Without my hand behind it

Damn baby  
You frustrate me  
I know you're mine all mine all mine  
But you look so good it hurts sometimes

Your body is a wonderland

-Your Body is A Wonderland by John Mayor

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco left Ginny by the edge of the tub and went to turn off the hot water, letting the tub cool to a temperature that was tolerable. After it had filled up the rest of the way, he swam back to Ginny. She sat on the stone bench that lined the edges of the tub, the warm water up to her breasts, her short hair hanging limply around her head.

"Are you sure you want me to wash you? I'll have to touch you. I don't want to get punched again."

She smiled, placing a hand on his cheek. "I'm okay now. I won't hit you. I want you to touch me."

Draco shuddered at her words, and, leaning his face into her hand, kissed her palm. "Turn around."

She did as he told her, and he grabbed the shampoo, squirting it onto her head. Draco kneaded it into her hair gently, mesmerized by the way her hair felt under his hands, the way she leaned back into him, her bare back against his chest. He dipped her back into the water to let it rinse out, and he briefly felt like he was baptizing her. Her hair splayed out in the water under her, and her breasts floated up above the bubbles. Draco lightly touched Ginny's neck, then ran two fingertips down between her breasts as the bead of sweat had done in his dream.

Ginny rose back up and kneeled in front of him, handing him the wash cloth. Draco touched it to her forehead, dabbing at a cut there and washing the blood off of it. He trailed it down her cheek, gently cleaning the rest of her face, then her neck. He washed every inch of her body, her ankles, legs, arms, stomach, and back. Draco shuddered when he touched her breasts, and tried to ignore how uncomfortably tight his pants had become, made even worse by the fact that they were soaking wet. He could not bring himself to meet her eyes when his hands trailed down her lower back to the mound of her butt. Instead, he stared past her shoulder, trying his damndest to not feel her up. After all, he was doing this for Ginny's sake, not his own.

He stood to grab her a towel, thinking they were done, when she grasped his arm, pulling him back down into the water. "You missed a spot."

"Wh-what?" Draco was certain he had washed every inch of her skin.

A blush rose to her already flushed cheeks. She bit her lip tantalizingly, glancing away from him in embarrassment. "Down…down there."

Oh. Ooh. Draco averted his eyes, suddenly wishing her body wasn't so close to his. If she moved just a few centimeters she would feel his want for her. It was hard enough having her naked body this close to his, teasing himself by washing every inch of it but knowing he had no right to touch her. But now she wanted him to wash her there as well? "Ginny…I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"But…that's where I'm the dirtiest." He closed his eyes at the sound of her pleading. The vixen. She knew he couldn't say no to her.

He sighed, picking up the wash cloth. This was going to be a very, very long, sleepless night. Ginny's hand touched his, surprising him, and she took the cloth from him, tossing it in the water. His eyebrows rose as she pulled his hand below the water, laying it gently on her stomach.

Ginny held his face in her hands, kissing him gently on the lips. "Touch me, Draco."

His hand trailed slowly down her stomach, stopping at the edge of her curly hair. Draco stared into Ginny's brown eyes as he lowered it further, until he held her in the cup of his hand. Her breath quickened, and as her chest rose and fell, her breasts brushed against his own chest. Her eyelids fluttered and she got a far-away look in her gaze. Draco curled his fingers up slowly, slipping them inside of her.

Ginny gasped, a squeal escaping her lips, and she collapsed against him, her knees too weak to stand. He caught her in surprise, holding her against him with one arm, while his fingers stayed frozen inside of her. She trembled against his body, and he had to push down the sudden urge to not rip off his unbearably tight pants right then and there. "Do you want me to stop?" His voice came out as a whisper.

She shook her head, unable to speak. Draco curled his fingers up further, and Ginny's squeal of pleasure and surprise was even louder now, despite the fact that she bit her lip to hold it back. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she dug her fingernails into his back. The inside of her thigh pressed against his manhood and he couldn't take it any longer. Draco thrust Ginny away from him, holding his head in his hands so he did not have to look at her.

"Draco…Draco, what's wrong?"

"Stop. Get away from me. I can't…I can't do this, Gin."

"Do I…do I disgust you?"

He shook his head, laughing. "No, Ginny. No no no."

"What is it?" She stepped towards him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He shivered, his muscles rippling under her touch.

"You're driving me crazy. I can't…I can't touch you anymore. Not right now. I won't be able to control myself."

"I don't want you to control yourself, Draco." He stared at her, his eyes wide. She stepped forward again, wrapping her arms around him. "I want to make love to you. We can…right?"

He nodded, grimacing. Before he'd had an excuse to not have sex with her, when they had nothing to protect her from getting pregnant, but now he had none. "But we can't. We shouldn't…I…"

"What, Draco?"

"I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to scare you."

"You won't hurt me." She smiled, running her hands through his hair. "I trust you."

He shook his head. "You've been hurt before, Gin. If I do something wrong…I could ruin our relationship. Everything that we have now. I don't want to lose you. I don't want to mess up and have you hate me. I don't want you to regret it afterwards."

"How many times do I have to tell you before you'll believe me? I want you, Draco. I want to make love to you. For the rest of my life. You and only you."

He felt himself give in, even before he asked, "Are you sure? Are you positive this is what you want?"

She nodded, kissing him gently. "I'm sure. I know that you aren't like them. I know that you won't hurt me. You love me."

Draco took Ginny's hands, pulling her towards the edge of the pool for the second time that night. He got out, grabbing two towels from the bench. At first he was confused by what she was staring at, but then he realized her gaze had gone to his groin. His horniness was obvious with his wet pants sticking to him. Draco pulled the towel in front of him in embarrassment. "Where are we going?" she asked, as he helped her out of the tub. "We aren't staying here?"

"Of course not." He admired her naked body for a few minutes before wrapping the fluffy towel around her body and drying her off. "We're going to do this right, Gin. In our bed. I want you to be comfortable."

She smiled at his consideration and held her arms out, letting him dry her off. He went to pick up her clothes, but she shook her head. "I…I don't want to wear those again."

"But it's your school uniform."

"I have others. Besides…they're dirty. And I…I'm not dirty anymore." She lifted her chin defiantly, as if he had challenged that fact.

He nodded, grabbing his shirt instead. Draco put it on her, deciding it looked much better on Ginny than himself, and buttoned it up. Then he wrapped his robe around her as well to keep her warm.

"You're going to be freezing walking around the halls all wet."

He shrugged, casting a drying charm on his clothes. "The magic of…magic, Gin." She giggled and walked towards the door, but Draco shook his head, grabbing her around the waist. "Oh no you don't. You do not walk to our marriage bed." He reached down, grabbing her under the knees and lifting her into the air, one arm under her back, the other holding her legs. Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling up to him.

"Are you sure you can carry me that far?"

"Of course." And he did. He carried her back to their room and did not set her down until he laid her gently in the bed. Draco left her there to start a fire in the fireplace. When he had finished, she was sitting on the bed in just his t-shirt, completely unbuttoned but for one. It tantalizingly kept her cleavage from bursting out of his shirt. She had one leg lifted, her arms wrapped around it, her chin resting on her knee as she watched him. "What?" he asked.

"You look far too overdressed."

He chuckled, glancing down at his dress pants and shoes. Draco shrugged, pulling them off and tossing them aside. He walked towards her as he undid his belt and yanked it off, dropping it on the floor. Ginny licked her lips as Draco let his pants fall around his ankles and stepped out of them, standing before her in just his boxers. "Is this better?"

She shook her head, pursing her lips. "Not quite."

Draco ducked his head shyly. He'd never stripped for a girl before. He attempted to do a sexy dance, but she only laughed at him. He pulled his boxers off and stood before her completely naked, staring at the ceiling in embarrassment and trying to resist the urge to cover himself. Ginny stared at him for nearly five minutes, her eyes roaming from his face down his chest to his groin and legs. "That's better. Now get over here." She patted the spot beside her on the bed.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco obliged, sitting beside Ginny. The firelight glinted off of his damp silvery hair, and she leaned forward, her lips meeting his slowly. They kissed leisurely, their mouths barely brushing, occasionally dragging their teeth across each other's lips. When he spoke he did not bother to pull his mouth away from hers. "Turn around," he whispered.

Ginny did as he commanded, turning her back to him. Draco reached his arms around her shoulder, his hands cupping her breasts, and unbuttoned the final button. He slipped the shirt slowly off of her shoulders. He brushed her hair out of the way, gently touching the locket around her neck before lowering his lips to her neck. Draco slid his lips along her skin, kissing down to her shoulder. He paused, and she glanced over her shoulder to see why. He was staring at one of her scars. "Lay down. On your stomach." She did as he asked, somewhat confused, and he kneeled at her side, leaning over. He began to kiss down her back, and it took her a few minutes to realize he was kissing along her scars. He kissed every one of them on her back and legs, before turning her over. Draco started with the scar on her inside thigh, trailing his lips up. He briefly let them brush over crotch, sending a thrill of ecstasy up her spine, before kissing up further. He kissed the scars that criss-crossed over her stomach, then the long white one that mauled her left breast. Draco gave extra attention to Ginny's nipples, testing his mouth on them. He kissed, licked, nibbled, and bit at them, making her back arch into him and her hands clench at his hair. Finally, his lips met hers again.

Draco pulled away from the long kiss, staring deeply into Ginny's eyes. His arms rested on either side of her head, propping himself up so that he did not crush her. Although her legs were closed, she could feel his manhood brushing against the crease between her thighs teasingly. It was hot and hard and ready, just like him, but he did not move to enter her. "Are you ready, Ginny? Are you certain this is what you want?"

"Yes. Yes, Draco. I want you."

Draco nodded and grabbed his wand off of the nightstand. He sat back, waving it over her hips and stomach and whispering an incantation. A golden light glowed briefly around her midsection like a belt before disappearing. Draco slid Ginny's legs apart slowly. Her breath became shaky and her heart began to race in anticipation. This was the moment she had waited for for so long. Finally, they would consummate their love. Finally, she would feel him inside of her. Their bodies would become one. It did not matter that they were not yet married. This act of love would seal their relationship forever.

Ginny watched Draco's reaction in amazement and wonder. The tip of his penis brushed against her lips, and he noticeably shuddered, his eyes slipping shut in ecstasy. He did not enter her yet, but instead teased her mercilessly, until she was almost begging him. Then he leaned down and captured her lips with his own as he slid into her.

It took all of Ginny's energy to not scream out at the feel of him. He was hot and heavy and hard, but not completely unyielding. His penis molded to fit her as he eased inside, filling up every space in her. She briefly wondered if he could feel the scars inside of her, but if he did they did not seem to bother him. Draco slid into her slowly, centimeter by centimeter, pausing anytime she made any sound of discomfort, constantly asking her how she felt, if she was alright, if she wanted him to stop. Finally, he was completely inside her, as far as he could go, filling her up completely.

Draco's arms trembled, and she watched a bead of sweat form on his forehead. Ginny ran her hands through his hair, smiling up at him, and they kissed. Draco's tongue swept inside her mouth, playing with her own, and he began to pull out of her, not quite as slowly as he'd entered.

Soon they built up a rhythm. Slowly and steadily he entered and retreated, his hands guiding her hips. They touched each other everywhere, their hands exploring. They legs and chests and arms brushed and connected, and they occasionally rolled over and changed rhythm. Their lips kissed whatever was near. A cheek, a neck, a breast, a hand, the other's mouth. Soon they lost track of time and thought and simply enjoyed the pleasurable feel of each other's bodies.

Draco sped up his thrusts, and Ginny felt a strange sensation building in her. Her stomach clenched in a mixture of pain and pleasure. The heat between her legs became nearly unbearable. Draco became so hard he began to hurt her, despite his attempts to control himself and be as gentle as possible. Their breathing became rapid, she could not even gasp or speak anymore. Ginny was staring up at the ceiling, wondering at the strange sensation, but Draco took her face in his hands, invading her vision. Their eyes locked, and he refused to let her look away. His hand found hers and their fingers intertwined. She knew this was it, this was the pivotal point, the peak of ecstasy, both hers and Draco's. She had never before understood the healing power of making love, but she felt as if she were a virgin again, as if this truly were her first time. He thrust into her once more and then froze. She watched as every muscle in his body clenched and he stopped breathing. His hand squeezed hers almost painfully, and she was sure the fearful, surprised look in his face was mirrored in her own.

And then he released inside of her. She felt it in a rush of heat and liquid. It filled her up and spilled out of her, onto their legs and the bed beneath them. And with his climax Ginny reached her own. The mysterious heat that had been building up finally gave way. The dam broke and she felt herself squeeze around his manhood tightly as her own fluids mixed with his. He gasped, his eyes wide, his mouth opening and closing in an attempt to make noise, but none came out. Ginny didn't even realize she was trembling until she felt Draco's arms wrap around her and pull her close. He collapsed on top of her, breathless and spent, but quickly rolled to the side, afraid he was too heavy. Ginny held out a hand to stop him. "Stay inside of me."

Draco obliged, slipping back inside, and he held her close, her head on his chest, his hand still holding hers. "Ginny…you…you are incredible. I love you. I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Draco." She suddenly felt exhausted and light-headed. The room spun and swam, and she was afraid if she tried to sit up or stand she would collapse. Her orgasm had left her drained and tired. As he stroked her hair, she fought against her eyelids, but eventually they won, slipping shut, and she drifted off into sleep.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco lay on his side, Ginny's naked body beside his, her warmth radiating off of her. The morning sun shone pink into the room with dawn, its rays kissing her face and highlighting the freckles on her cheek. It was warm enough that they had the covers pulled down to their hips, and Draco's hands trailed up and down Ginny's side, from her shoulder over the curve of her side to her hip and back up. He was mesmerized by the smooth silkiness of her pale white skin, and content to simply lay there all day, no, for all eternity, touching her.

Ginny awoke slowly, her eyes opening blearily. She stretched with a moan of pleasure and curled up against him, her leg thrown over him possessively. Draco watched her lashes flutter, then open, and she smiled up at him. "Hey you."

"Hey you." His kissed her softly on the lips. "Good morning."

"Mmm," she moaned in approval. "A very good morning indeed."

"Did you enjoy yourself last night?" She nodded, yawning sleepily. Draco brushed a strand of red hair out of her face. "Do you have any regrets, Ms. Weasley?"

Ginny chuckled, smiling up at him. "Only one."

His eyes widened in surprise and his mind began to reel. Had he made a mistake? Had he hurt her? Was she mad at him? Did she hate him? What did she regret? "Wh-what?" His voice broke.

The redhead laughed, touching his lips with her fingertips. "We only did it once."

Oh. Ooooh. Draco grinned. "Well, we're just going to have to change that, aren't we?" Laughing, he pulled her on top of him.


	28. Goodbyes

A/N: Here's chapter 28. Almost done, just two more!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

When there's nowhere else to run  
Is there room for one more son  
One more son  
If you can hold on  
If you can hold on, hold on

I wanna stand up, I wanna let go  
You know, you know - no you don't, you don't  
I wanna shine on in the hearts of men  
I wanna mean it from the back of my broken hand

Another head aches, another heart breaks  
I am so much older than I can take  
And my affection, well it comes and goes  
I need direction to perfection, no no no no

Over and in, last call for sin  
While everyone's lost, the battle is won  
With all these things that I've done  
All these things that I've done  
If you can hold on  
If you can hold on

-All These Things That I've Done by The Killers

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny couldn't believe it was April already. A month had passed since she and Draco had made love, and a lot had changed. They were alone at the school now, well, as alone as you could be amongst five thousand other students. But there were six less than had enrolled in the fall, three of which had been murdered, three of which had dropped out. Those three had been Hermione, Ron, and Harry.

Of course, only Draco and Ginny knew the whereabouts of the Golden Trio. Why they had left at the end of their last year. Where they had gone. Everyone assumed they were out saving the world, but nobody else knew the exact circumstances.

It was weeks ago that, in casual conversation, Hermione had mentioned that they had not even planned on going to Hogwarts that year. She, Ron, and Harry were supposed to go out searching for the Horcruxes, but with the events of Ginny's rape, Ron had halted their scheduled save the world gig for later, opting instead to stick around and take care of Ginny. He had sacrificed a lot for her, perhaps too much, and she was upset to discover so. So after all three of her rapists were taken care of, Ginny and Draco invited the three to their room one night, and Ginny commanded them to do as they had originally planned.

It took a lot to convince them that she was strong and sane enough to live on her own without Ron watching out for her. Of course, Ron had grown to trust Draco, but he still did not know if the boy would be around forever, or if he was as capable as Ginny's brother in protecting her. When Draco mentioned marriage, Ron grudgingly accepted that the boy was planning on sticking around for the long haul, but asked that they hold off on a wedding until after the war, and perhaps after Ginny had turned thirty, whichever came second. Harry, of course, was adamantly against the thought, and he stood stiffly and stonily in the corner of the room, as if expecting at any moment Draco would attack him, and refused to speak.

Finally, Ginny took him aside to speak to him alone. It was an awkward goodbye. He didn't look at her as he asked, "Do you really love him?"

Ginny glanced at her feet, nodding her head. "Yeah, I do."

"But why, Gin? The son of a Death Eater?" She opened her mouth to berate him, but he held up a hand. "I know what you're going to say. But I still don't trust him, no matter how much he may have fooled you, Hermione, and Ron."

"Well, I'm sorry about that, Harry. I do hope that someday you two can be friends."

"I doubt it." Harry touched the locket around Ginny's neck. He popped it open, reading the inscription inside. Their names were carved on one side, the other read "Fire and Ice." His lips pursed. "That should be my name…I still love you, y'know?"

Ginny took Harry's hand and lowered it from her neck, holding it between them. She let it drop, and it fell back to his side. "I know, Harry. But someday you'll get over it. Someday, you'll love another woman, and she will make you happy. You'll get married, live in a big house, have lots of little black haired, green eyed children." She smiled at him. "Could you imagine me doing that?"

"Yeah. I can. That's what hurts so much." His voice was bitter.

"Well I can't, Harry. That's not the kind of girl I am. Maybe in a different life, in another time, that would have been me. But not anymore. You're the hero. You're the guy who goes and saves the world and rescues the damsel and marries the girl in the end. That's who you are. This," she waved her arm around the room, then over in Draco's direction, "This is who I am. I belong here, with him." A long silence fell between them. Ginny hugged Harry awkwardly then stepped away. "Goodbye, Harry. I hope you will keep in touch after all of this is done with. I still want to be friends."

He shrugged and turned, walking away without saying goodbye. Ginny said her farewells to her brother and best friend before they left. She hadn't seen or heard from them since, their mission was very top secret, but she hoped it wouldn't be the last.

"What's the matter, love?" Draco asked, staring into Ginny's eyes.

She smiled at him, shaking her head. "Nothing."

"You sure? You had a strange look on you face. Like something was bothering you."

"I'm fine. I was just remembering something."

Draco leaned down, capturing Ginny's lips in a kiss. She melted into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and returning the favor. Draco pulled away too soon with a sigh. "There's something I have to tell you."  
She didn't like the sound of his voice. "What? What's wrong Draco?"

"I…I got a letter from my mother today. Lucius is sick. He's dying."

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. "What?"

"They're not sure what's wrong with him. Of course he paid the most expensive doctors he could find but…well, they've predicted him to last a month at the most."

"And what's this got to do with us?"

"Narcissa wants me to come home to see him before he dies. I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Draco! You can't be serious! After all he's done to you! He's nearly killed you on countless occasions!"

"I know, but…"

"And how do you know this isn't a trap? How do you know he isn't luring you in?"

Draco shook his head. "I know my mother's hand writing. She wrote the note."

"I don't care. You can't go, Draco. It isn't safe."

"I have to." He sighed, putting a hand on her cheek.

"Why? What has he ever done to deserve you by his deathbed?"

"I'm not going for him. I'm going for my mother. She needs me right now. I will only stay a day, just to speak to her about the arrangements. I don't care if he gives me any money or not, I don't want it anyway. Then I will return to you and all will be well."

"But Draco—"

He put a finger to her lips, quieting her. "Don't fret, Ginny. I promise to return, just like last time. And I did, didn't I?"

"Yeah, bloody and bruised!"

"Gin…" He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "He can't hurt me. Not as dilapidated as he is now. And…I dunno. I guess I want the satisfaction of seeing him half dead. If I could kill him myself and get away with it…"

"But you can't, Draco. We're done killing. And besides…it's too high profile. You'll have Aurors and Death Eaters on you if you kill him."

"I know. I won't…but I am going, Gin. You can't talk me out of it."

She bit her lip, but nodded slowly. Ginny curled up against her boyfriend's chest, sighing in resignation.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco heaved a sigh, staring around the mansion's foyer. It was exactly the same as the last time he saw it. Plush, high backed sofas, thick, soft carpet that your feet sank into it, a marble fireplace gaping like the mouth of a demon, two arching glass windows for eyes, thick curtains, a tapestry of the family crest, a white grand piano in the corner, and glaring portraits of his ancestors who turned their noses up when he walked resolutely past them, heading for his mother. She sat alone on one of the couches, staring at a picture in her lap, her eyes teary and rimmed with dark circles.

"Narcissa." Draco murmured coldly, standing before her. She looked up at him, taking in his appearance from head to toe. Her lips turned up, thought it couldn't be called a smile.

"Draco…" The woman swallowed back her emotion. "It's been so long since I've seen you. Are you well?"

"Why didn't you ask that six months ago when Lucius was beating me?" He felt no remorse watching her flinch.

"You know there wasn't anything I could do against Lucius…I'm as powerless as you are when it comes to—"

"Bullshit. You're only powerless because he bribes you with pretty things," Draco grabbed the pearl necklace around her neck, ripping it off, "And fucks your brains out to keep you satisfied." He threw the pearls on the ground in disgust. "Where is he? I want to get this over with."

She closed her eyes, wiping hastily at them, and pointed to the wraparound staircase in the next room. "In his bed. He can't get out of it. He is too weak."

Draco spun in a flurry of robes, storming out of the room. He jogged up the stairs, hearing the sounds of his mother's sobbing behind him, and made his way across the mansion to the other end. He paused before Lucius's bedroom door, stealing himself for the encounter.

"Come in," whispered a voice behind the door, before Draco even bothered to knock. Draco flinched, hearing his father's voice, and pushed the door open, stepping inside.

Lucius lay on the bed looking as pathetic as Draco had ever seen him. His face was sunken, his body thin. Dark shadows crossed in front of his eyes, shadows of his impending death. His long hair now looked limp and scraggly, and he was propped up in bed by some pillows. A nurse at his side checked his pulse, commenting that it was weak, and asking if he would like some medicine. Lucius glared at the woman and spit out a typical biting comment, commanding her to leave. She scurried out of the room fearfully, closing the door behind her.

Draco turned to his father, his face a perfect mask. The two stared at each other for a long time, before Lucius spoke. "Come closer, son. I can't see you." His voice was hoarse and weak.

"I'm alright here, thanks."

"I said come here, Dra—"

"I don't think you're in any condition to be making demands, Lucius."

The man lifted his chin, staring haughtily at Draco. He clearly was not used to being so disobeyed, nor so powerless. He turned his eyes away, to the open window. "Why are you here?"

"Narcissa asked me to come. She said you wanted to speak with me…and I wanted to see for myself if you were truly dying."

"It could have been a trick. I could have tricked you here and now will kill you."

"I considered that. But like I said. You're not in any condition, Lucius."

Lucius began to chuckle darkly. "Do you like seeing me like this, then, Draco? Half-dead? At your mercy?"

"Yes. It is quite satisfying."

Lucius's lips turned up. "I heard about the murders. However did you manage them? So clean, so well thought out." Lucius smirked at him. "You really would have made a good Death Eater."

"No. You kill for pleasure. I kill for justice."

"Justice?! Don't make me laugh. You kill for vengeance. Admit it. You enjoyed it. Hearing them scream. Watching them bleed. You took satisfaction in it."

"I di—"

"Don't lie to me son. I can always see through your lies."

Draco gritted his teeth but held his tongue, staring at the far wall stonily. "Yes, I enjoyed killing them. Just as I enjoy watching you die."

Lucius chuckled darkly. "Proof that you are my son."

Draco shook his head. "No. I am not your son. And, besides the satisfaction of seeing you as an invalid, I am only here to ask you one simple question."

The man's lips twitched. "I knew you would come to me eventually. Go ahead. Ask if I know who he is."

"Who is Ginny's last rapist?"

Lucius leaned closely, as if he were going to tell Draco a secret, and his voice dropped. "I don't know." He began to laugh quietly, but it quickly escalated to a manic giggle. "You don't find the situation as humorous as I do, son?"

"No." Draco pulled out his wand, and in a flash, he was at Lucius's bedside, the end of it stuck in the man's throat. "Now stop lying and tell me who he is."

"Would I lie to you? My own son?" Draco dug the wand in further, glaring at his father. "That is what is so humorous. Those boys were not Death Eaters. They were merely Death Eaters' sons. Stole their masks and robes and went to town wreaking havoc, raping and stealing and killing. It was quite humorous, of course, and I'd hoped you would join in your peers' pastimes, but of course you refused. But I tell you honestly, I do not know who the other one was. I did not meet him myself, though if I did, I would certainly shake his hand." Draco twitched, lifting a hand to strike the man. "Go ahead. Hit me son. I know you want to. After all the beatings I've given you. Do it. Hit me. Curse me. Kill me."

Draco paused, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. The last taunt sounded almost like a request, no, a plea. His father had slipped up, and in his slip, Draco had heard him beg for the first time in his life. He was begging Draco to kill him, and it made sense. Voldemort's right hand man, one of the most notorious Death Eaters in Wizarding London, in all of the Wizarding World. He couldn't stand to be bedridden like this. It was worse than a death sentence. Worse than any physical torture. At the mercy of a poor half-blood nurse and his annoying, narcissistic wife. His son for once free of his torture, out living his life happily, in the prime of his youth. And Lucius, stuck here, dying slowly.

Draco smirked, pulling the wand away from his father and pocketing it. He fixed his clothes meticulously, lifting his chin at his father. "No. That's just what you want. To die quickly and painlessly." The boy shook his blonde head shamefully. "I bet it just kills you to be bedridden, doesn't it Lucius? I bet you're just waiting to die. Well I'm not going to give you the pleasure of a quick death, Lucius. No no no. I'm going to let you suffer slowly, until the very last breath leaves your body." Draco turned towards the door, and without looking back, said, "The next time we meet, Lucius, it will be in hell."

"Yes. In the level for murderers like us." Lucius spat after him. Draco snorted and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Draco didn't remember much of the trip back home. He vaguely remembered walking past his crying mother. His father calling out his name as he stepped into the fireplace, staring at the foyer for the last time through the green flames. Then the spinning sensation as he took to the air. It wasn't until he was back in his room that he finally got his bearings and could focus his mind on one thing, and that one thing was Ginny. He needed her, and he needed her now, to take away the painful memories of his father, the conversation that reeled through his mind over and over again, the meticulous calculation and reading into of everything that had been said and hadn't been said, and the wish that he could do it over, as he wished after every encounter with his father, and be stronger, bolder, more demanding. Draco needed Ginny to make him forget.

But she wasn't in the room. It was after dark, so she wouldn't be outside, and dinner was already over. He could check the library and see if she was studying, or perhaps she was in the Gryffindor commons room.

But Draco had the oddest feeling that she was in none of these places. He quickly realized why. Draco's ring finger had rapidly grown numb. He glanced down at it, wondering why it, and not the rest of his hand, was freezing cold. His mood ring was jet black and ice cold with Ginny's fear.


	29. Calm

A/N: Here's the big climax! Just one more chapter to go!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord  
I've been waiting for this moment, all my life, oh lord  
Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord, oh lord

Well, if you told me you were drowning  
I would not lend a hand  
I've seen your face before my friend  
But I don't know if you know who I am  
Well, I was there and I saw what you did  
I saw it with my own two eyes  
So you can wipe off the grin, I know where you've been  
It's all been a pack of lies

Well I remember, I remember don't worry  
How could I ever forget, it's the first time, the last time we ever met  
But I know the reason why you keep your silence up, no you don't fool me  
The hurt doesn't show; but the pain still grows  
It's no stranger to you or me

And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord

-In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny sat by the edge of the pool-sized tub, waiting for it to fill up, her towel wrapped around her naked body. Draco was still gone visiting his parents, but she hoped he would return soon. She wished she had left a note in the room in case he did return before he said he would, so he would come join her in the tub. But no matter, she could stand to bathe alone for once. He probably tired of spending every waking moment with her, besides.

There was a clatter in the room, and Ginny's head whipped around in the direction of the sound. She had waited until the bathroom was empty before entering, and had checked the shower rooms just in case to be certain. Perhaps she had missed someone. Ginny stood, holding her towel tighter to herself and hoping she wasn't about to be caught in the prefect's bathroom considering she wasn't a prefect. Ginny crept towards the shower room she had heard the sound coming from, calling out, "Hello? Is anyone there?"

She poked her head around the door, but, just as the last time she had checked, each of the stalls was empty. Brows furrowed in confusion, she turned back to her enormous, luxurious bathtub.

Ginny gasped in surprise, shocked by the man standing on the far side of the room. It took a few seconds for her heart to slow to a normal pace, and she placed a hand to her forehead, apologizing. "You startled me."

"I'm so very sorry." He whispered, bowing his head. "I did not mean to." He stood stiffly, his hands folded behind his back, his eyes averted politely. His brown hair fell into his eyes, hiding them behind shadows.

"Oh. It's alright. I'll just be leaving."

"But why?" His head tilted to the side curiously, though he still did not look at her.

"I'm not a prefect. I don't want to get in trouble or anything. I just know this bathroom is usually empty and it's closer to where I live—"

"With Draco Malfoy, right?"

Ginny's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Uhh, yeah." She squinted, staring closer at the boy. He had a Gryffindor insignia on his chest. "Oh, you're in my house, aren't you? What's your name again?"

"You don't remember my name? You've said hello to me before. Your brother and even Harry Potter remembered my name."

Ginny blushed. "I'm sorry. I'm not very good with names. I don't think we're in the same year, either."

"No. I'm a seventh year."

"Oh. Well, that's nice…" Ginny bit her bottom lip awkwardly, shifting on her feet. "Well, I think I'll go anyways. I'm not really comfortable showering around other people." She stepped towards the bench where her clothes lay in a pile.

The boy stepped towards them as well. Ginny froze, a strange feeling coming over her. Writing it off as nothing more than being uncomfortable naked in front of a man, she took another step forward. So did he. "I'm sorry. Did you want something?"

"Yes, I did, actually."

She sighed, trying to keep her tight smile on her face. This guy was really getting annoying. "Oh. What is it?"

He lifted his head, and the light caught his face. Her smile dropped, as one rose up on his lips. His blue eyes glinted in the light. "You, Ginny."

Ginny froze, staring at the boy in shock. His eyes. Sparkling blue. Like ice. So familiar, yet…different than she remembered. As if months of nightmares had made those eyes seem more distinct to her than they truly were. But still. They shone with an internal light. A light that was all too familiar. Ginny shook her head, taking a step back slowly. "Who…who are you?"

"You see, Ginny, that's what really hurts." He lifted a hand as he walked towards her. His lips pursed in annoyance. "After all that I've done for you, to you, you have the audacity to not even know my name."

"How…who…" She glanced again at the Gryffindor crest on his robes. "You're in my house?" Her voice was filled with disgust and disbelief. "I've walked past you? Sat next to you? Slept just…just rooms from you?"

"And still, you don't know my name!" The anger in his voice frightened her. "Do you know what I've done to get your attention? Do you have any idea?!" She stepped back again, in pace with him, trying to keep the same distance between them. "I've tried talking to you. But you ignore me. I've tried sitting next to you, but you look right through me. For years I tried to get your attention, but you never even noticed. And you dated countless other boys, just like the little whore that you are. Harry Potter, Michael Corner, Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom, of all people! And now, Draco Malfoy. But not once did you consider me."

His rant had grown crazed, and as he spoke, she only partially listened. She spent more time trying to figure out how to get the hell out of there. Her wand was on the other side of the room, with her clothes. She knew she couldn't take him on physically, nor could she dodge or block any spells he cast at her without her wand, but if she kept him talking, perhaps she could circled around the tub to her clothes and make a run for it.

"Even as I fucked you, you didn't recognize me. You would think, with eyes like mine, that you would have remembered them long before that, but no. Do you know what a man has to go through to get close to you?!"

"How did I not see your eyes if I passed you ever day in the hallways?"

He chuckled. "Don't take me for a fool, my love." She shuddered at the pet name. "I'm a half-blood. Muggles have surprisingly simple ways of changing eye color. I simply popped in some brown contacts and you did not even notice when I stood right next to you." He shook his head, gritting his teeth. "I remember the one time I forgot to wear them. I saw you across the hall. You looked right at me and were frozen with fear." He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes at the memory. "Oh, that fear. I love the smell of it. I can smell it on you now, in fact. But nothing, nothing topped the Halloween ball, when I purposely left them out just to haunt you. I heard you had quite a panic attack after that. I just wish I could have been there to watch you shake in fear and insanity."

Her clothes were just a few meters behind her. She just had to turn and dash for them. He still had his eyes clothes as he spoke. "Nothing is sexier than fucking a woman who is deathly afraid of you."

Ginny spun on her heel, sprinting towards her clothing. She didn't look back to see what he was doing, if he was following her or attacking her. Ginny slipped on a wet patch and fell to her knees, sliding forward towards the bench. She skidded to a stop, grabbing her clothes from the pile and throwing them to the floor, searching through them for her wand.

"Ginny." The girl's eyes lifted slowly with growing dread. He spun her wand in his hand. "Looking for this? Tsk tsk tsk. You should know by now that I'm smarter than that." He pocketed her wand, then held his own out. "Now. How shall we do this? Do I want you tied up or would I rather if you struggled?" He stroked his chin as he thought.

Ginny jumped up, dashing for the nearest door. She ducked just in time to avoid a jet of purple light that streamed over her head. Ginny fell into the shower room, shutting the door behind her and locking it. There was a tiny window at the far end of the room, but she wasn't sure how far of a drop down it was to the ground below. Still, she would rather die than let him take her again.

Ginny ran towards the window, searching for something to break it open with. The door burst open behind her, and she turned just as a body came hurdling towards her. The redhead fell to the floor, the boy on top of her, skidding a few feet. In the confusion of the tackle and sudden fall, she lost track of which direction was up, which pocket the boy had placed her wand in, and remembering to hold onto her towel. When she got her bearings again, briefly checking mentally to make sure no bones were broken, he had her pinned to the ground, his lips pulled up a cruel smirk, his eyes shining with insanity and lust.

"So, do you remember my name yet, Ginny?" She didn't answer him, but instead let out the loudest, ear-piercing scream she could. His slap silenced and slightly disoriented her. "Don't bother, I sound-proofed the room. No one will hear you scream." He leaned down, kissing her cheek. "Just like before, love."

"Get off of me! Stop! Get off!"

"What's my name, Ginny?" He grabbed her flailing arms, holding them by her sides. She attempted to knee him, but he caught her leg between his. "Naughty naughty. Answer my question."

"I don't know! Let me go! Help me! Somebody help me!" He hit her again. Her left ear went deaf, all she could hear was a loud ringing. She tasted blood in her mouth.

"Say my name, damnit!" He grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. Her head bounced against the ground. Her vision became splotchy, and she fought against unconsciousness. She could not pass out. There was no telling what he would do to her then. "I said say my name damn you bitch!"

The boy grabbed her chin in his hands, his nails digging in. His eyes gleamed with anger. He leaned forward, until their lips almost touched. "Damn you. My name is Seamus Finnigan. Seamus Finnigan! Got it?!" Ginny nodded quickly, fearfully. "Good. Because you're going to be screaming it soon." He leaned down, crushing his lips against hers.

Escape. She had to escape. Nobody could hear her screaming. She couldn't fight him physically. She had to get her wand, but she didn't have a clue where he'd put it, and she was disgusted by the thought of reaching into his robes to search for it. Run. She had to run. If she could get to the door, get outside of the bathroom, she could scream at the top of her lungs and they would have to hear her. They had to.

Ginny's arm slipped up, out of his grasp, and she punched at his face with all her might. The boy reared back with a scream, falling to the floor and clutching at his face. She briefly observed that he was bleeding before she took off running out of the room, slamming the door behind her, though it wasted precious moments. She could hear him moaning in pain as she dashed towards the exit.

Locked. It was locked. No. It couldn't be. There was no lock on this door. But no matter how she pulled at it, it didn't budge. He had used a spell on it. To lock it. Ginny's fists slammed against it, and she screamed in fury and despair. A simple Alohomora would open it, but her wand was back in the shower area, with him. She couldn't possibly go back there.

He wasn't moaning anymore. She saw the door knob rattle. She had to hide. It was the only thing she could do. She was out of options, and she was close to unconsciousness, and she knew she was not making much sense, but the word hide kept repeating over and over in her head. The tub. The tub was nearly full with soapy, bubbly water. The streaming water that filled it rippled the surface. Anything beneath it would be hidden from view.

The door began to open. She was out of options. Hide. Out of options…Ginny held her breath and jumped, plunging into the warm water. The bubbles and soap stung against her open cuts. She felt herself bob up towards the surface, and she used the wall to push herself down, below the water, so he couldn't see her.

It was oddly peaceful down here. Silent, still. She couldn't hear or see anything. Even when she opened her eyes to search the murky depths, she saw nothing. It was as if her heart and all the world had suddenly paused, stood still. Even time held its breath with her. As the seconds ticked by and her lungs began to scream for air, she felt the most peaceful calm she had ever known. She even thought she saw a figure, a shimmering, silver figure that swam up to her. The large eyes behind huge glasses stared at her in fear and pity, and she briefly remembered the girl's name. Moaning Myrtle. They shared a knowing glance. Myrtle could hold her breath all she wanted. She was dead. Ginny was alive. And she could hold it no longer.

Ginny breathed out, the bubbles rising and breaking the surface. If she stayed down any longer she would pass out or drown. Against her better judgment she felt her body long to the break the surface, her lungs to breathe in the air. She was going to die. One way or another. By her own hand or his. She was going to die.

Ginny felt something clamp around her hair and yank her up.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco ran down the halls, calling out Ginny's name. He knew he was waking up most of the portraits and probably all of the houses, but at this moment he couldn't give a damn. The more people that were awake the more that would know that Ginny was missing and in serious danger. Dread filled his heart. Where was she? Where had she gone? Where should he search first? The castle was huge, and he was one man. He could try going to all her usual haunts. He could try warning Snape or the Headmistress. He could just keep running down the halls screaming at the top of his lungs. But all of those would take too long. He was wasting precious time, and every moment that he wasn't with Ginny she was in danger.

He only wished he knew where to search. What was wrong. Who or what was hurting her. If it was that damn Pansy Parkinson again he would have to add a fourth murder to his body count, in the very least.

Draco turned down another corridor and felt an icy dread take over his heart. For a second, all he saw was white, and he felt memories flash through his mind that were not his own. The sound of a girl crying. The dripping of a faucet. The thud of a book hitting his head. A hand pushing a stall door open. Huge, bright green eyes. And then, nothing.

He fell to the floor, shuddering from the sudden memories, and spun to see what he had just passed through. Or rather, who. Draco had never actually touched a ghost before, but he'd heard it was a pretty uncomfortable experience, especially if the person had died gruesomely or traumatically. He stared up at the girl before him. She wore old-fashioned robes, pig tails, and huge, square glasses. Tears streamed down her eyes permanently, as they had when she'd died.

Myrtle. He'd spent countless hours last year talking to her in the third floor bathroom. She had been his only companion last year as he'd been haunted by the thought of his fate, his impending murder of Albus Dumbledore. She'd never been as close to him as Ginny was, after all, she was dead, but he could consider her a friend, perhaps his only besides Ginny and Snape, morbid though it may be to be friends with someone who didn't have a pulse. The strange fear and dread in her eyes caught his attention.

"Myrtle. What's wrong? What is it?"

"Draco! It's Ginny. He's got her. Her rapist. He's going to do it again. And this time he'll kill her. I'm sorry, I couldn't do anything but find you."

"Where?! Where is she?"

"The prefect's bathroom." Draco rose to his feet, sprinting down the corridor. "Draco! Be careful!" The ghost called after him.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny gasped for air as he pulled her above the surface of the water. "Trying to hide from me, are you? Look what you did to my eye, you stupid bitch. Look!"

She glanced up at his face fearfully. His eye was bleeding and swollen, she had clearly jabbed her thumb into it. If it was even there anymore. He could not open his eyelids for her to see. "An eye for an eye, aye?" Before she could breathe in again he plunged her back down into the water. She screamed, water filling her lungs, and tried to swim away from him, but his hands clutched her hair too tightly. Ginny reached up, grabbing his arm, trying to pull it off from the top of her head. It was no use. He was too strong. Struggle though she might, she couldn't escape him.

He pulled her back up again, and she coughed out the water in her lungs, gasping for breath. She managed to take a deep breath this time before he pushed her underneath again. He held her down longer, she lost track of the time, until her breath left her lungs in large bubbles of air. She was going to die. There was no two ways around it. She felt her vision get blurry. He pulled her up again, this time barely letting her catch her breath before dunking her into the water once more. Her vision went black. She felt weightless. Calm. Ginny's hands loosened on his wrist. She was floating. Floating on a cloud.

Cold air hit her body. The ground was hard beneath her back. Her chest heaved. Water and blood spilled out of her mouth. Red rain. Red rain was falling down on her. She was back in the alley. The dark alley. His eyes, his voice, were all she knew. He whispered cruel words in her ear. Her fault. It was her fault. If she wasn't so damn pretty, such a little tease, a little slut. His body was heavy on top of her. Not like Draco. Draco was gentle and warm. Draco made love to her. He, Seamus Finnigan, hurt her. Blue and black molded. Her vision swam. It was the most peaceful moment of her life. This calm.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Draco burst into the room, the door blown to smithereens. It took half a second for his eyes to find them. Ginny lay on the floor, naked, wet. He was on top of her, though he still had his clothes on, his mouth on her neck. There was blood, though Draco wasn't sure whose it was. Ginny's head lolled to the side, water spilling out of her mouth, her eyes half-lidded, but she saw nothing. Damn him, he had tried to drown her.

Draco only made it two steps into the room before the boy noticed him. He stood, grabbing Ginny and holding her naked body in front of him like a shield, his wand at her throat. "Take another step, Malfoy, and I'll kill her."

He paused, his wand held out before him, his teeth gritted. Draco glanced at Ginny. She was limp in the boy's arm, unconscious, her eyes occasionally rolling around the room unseeing. Draco felt a twitch start up in his face as he tried to hold back the rage burning in him.

"Put down your wand, Malfoy. Do it!" Draco closed his eyes, taking in a shuddery breath, and slowly kneeled down, lowering his wand to the ground. He stood back up. "Good. Now kick it over to me." He did as he was told, watching as his wand rolled across the floor, landing under the boy's toe.

"Very good. You can take directions. Now, follow my next instructions very carefully." The boy smirked, licking Ginny's neck. "Watch as I defile your girlfriend."

Draco's fists clenched at his side. The rapist grabbed Ginny's breast in his hand roughly, gauging Draco's reaction. "It's too bad she passed out. I wanted her to feel this. No matter. I can wake her up easily enough."

He lifted a hand, striking Ginny on the cheek. Her head rolled around and she woke up with a gasp. Her eyes rolled over the room before landing on Draco, and they widened in surprise. She lifted a hand towards him, a sad look on her face. "Draco? Draco…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I tried to fight him."

He bit his lip against the tears, nodding at her. "It's okay, Ginny. It's not your fault. You're going to be okay. Whatever happens, Ginny, just keep your eyes on me, alright. Just…just go to your happy place. Okay?" She nodded in understanding, a smile lifting on her lips. He watched her slip in and out of consciousness.

"Let her go. This is your last chance. Let her go now and when I kill you it won't be as excruciating."

The boy chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh no. I can't do that. Ginny and I have some…unfinished business. Isn't that right, love?" He pressed his hips against hers. Ginny hissed in pain as his hand grabbed at a bleeding scrape on her arm. "Tell him how much you want me, Ginny. Go on. Tell him. Tell him what a whore you are. You know you enjoyed it that night. You know you want me."

Ginny's eyes lifted heavily to Draco. There was such a deep sadness that it frightened him. No fear, no, she was beyond being afraid. Just sad. As if she knew what was going to happen next. As if she knew that she or he or both of them were going to die. Draco's eyes widened and he shook his head. The corners of her mouth lifted. He did not look, but watched, from his peripheral vision, as her hand shifted ever so slightly.

It all happened so quickly, Draco had no time to move. She pulled a wand out of his cloak, it must have been Ginny's, because Draco's was still on the floor. Ginny spun around, so that she and her rapist were face to face, her wand between them. A long second passed as they stared into each other's eyes, his afraid, hers wild and fierce. And then she whispered the words. Avada Kedavra.

He fell back, slowly, taking his time as he died. His body crashed into the water, sending it splashing over the edge. He bobbed on the surface for a few seconds before he began to sink under.

Ginny collapsed to the floor, and Draco suddenly remembered how to move. He ran to her side, catching her as she fell. She gripped him tightly, for dear life, and he rocked her as he held her. Draco lifted Ginny's face, kissing all over it, not caring where his lips landed, so long as he could touch her, could assure himself that she was alive and, for the most part, unhurt. He wasn't sure who started crying first, she or him. Or when that crying escalated into giggling, then laughing, even as the tears streamed down their faces. He wasn't certain why she kept repeating the words "Thank you" over and over again, or why he kept assuring her that it was over, that it was done with, that she was safe now. He didn't know how long they knelt there on the floor embracing, or who it was that finally found them and pulled them away from the scene. The only thing Draco was certain of was that he and Ginny were alive. And that was all that mattered.


	30. Closure

A/N: Well, here it is! The last chapter! This is so bittersweet…I really loved this story, even better than Silent Secrets (thought is surprisingly turned out to be about 8,000 words less than SS) and I'm sad it's done with, but I'm ready to move onto original fiction (currently working on three novels O.O).

I won't be doing any major fanfiction projects for awhile, though I will edit and finish Gin Weasley, 5 Years Old after a short break. But it won't be nearly this long, probably just a long one-shot for me. So, if you're really desperate for some of my writing before I can get a novel published, you can follow that as I update it. But other than that, I'm pretty much done with fanfiction for the time being.

Well…not much more to say. Except, thank you all for reading and keeping up with me this long, for your wonderful reviews that kept me going and gave me encouragement, and for being such a great audience!

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

I'm still alive  
Must have been a miracle  
It's been a hell of ride  
Destination still unknown  
It's a fact of life:  
If you make one wrong move with a gun to your head  
You better walk the line or you'll be left for dead

The darkest night ain't black enough  
To keep the morning light from shinin'  
The highest wall ain't tall enough  
To keep the smallest man from climbin'

The more that you resist the tide  
The more it pulls you in  
The more you hang on for your life

I'm a runaway train on broken track  
I'm the ticker on the bomb that you can't turn back this time  
That's right  
I got away with it all and I'm still alive  
Let the end of the world come tumbling down  
I'll be the last man standing on the ground  
As long as hot blood runs trough my veins  
I'm still alive

-Alive by Meat Loaf

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Ginny giggled as Draco licked the ice cream off of her nose. They were outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, on a hot June day, their ice cream melting off of the cones even as they ate it. It was two months since Seamus Finnigan had cornered Ginny in the prefect's bathroom and attacked her. Those two months had given her time to cope with the fact that she had killed a man, along with the rest of the students and teachers in Hogwarts and the Wizarding World. After explaining the circumstances, the Aurors had decided the kill was in self-defense, and that no charges should be pressed against her. No objection was heard from the Death Eaters posing as Ministry officials, after all, Finnigan was a half-blood, below them, and besides, they weren't the kind to look out for one another. The rest of her sixth year passed fairly uneventfully, although Draco's father did die a few weeks later, not that he bothered to attend the funeral. And at the end of May Draco graduated, Ginny standing beside him, cheering him on.

They were free now, at least for the summer, before Ginny returned to Hogwarts for her final year. Given that Hogwarts would still be standing by then. The war was in full swing, and they constantly were reminded with reports battles for power inside the Ministry and for blood out on the battlefield. But Diagon Alley had remained untouched by the war, preserved, at least for the moment, in its current state of consumerism. How long that would last was anyone's guess, and Ginny and Draco had decided to visit and take care of business before it finally was shut down.

It was odd that in the middle of a war she would feel the most content she ever had in her life. But even though war raged outside of London and the Burrow, she and Draco were happy and in love, and after a year of suffering from her insanity, her life was finally beginning to fall into place. She had a boyfriend that loved her, a family that she knew would kill for her, and friends out in the frontlines on their quest to be heroes. That wasn't to say the war didn't worry her, and every day she wondered if someone in her family would turn up injured or worse, but she was removed enough from it that it didn't affect her happiness. A happiness she long deserved.

Ginny glanced up and down the street, holding her hand over her eyes to protect it from the bright sunlight. "Where should we look first? Where do you think he'd be?"

"In Knockturn Alley most likely. Diagon Alley does tend to frown on beggars and street urchins."

She frowned, her eyes shifting towards the dark, deserted street of Knockturn Alley. "I don't want to go down there…maybe we should ask a street vendor if they've seen him lately." Her eyes scanned the alley, landing on a woman dressed like a gypsy who had set up a temporary booth, selling palm and fortune card readings for a few sickles a person. Ginny and Draco made their way over to the woman, who smiled up at them, reaching for her cards. "Oh. We don't want a reading. We actually wanted to ask you a question." She frowned, but nodded. "Do you know of the whereabouts of a man named Harold. We're not sure of his last name. He's a beggar that lives around here."

"I'm not certain if I recall that name…" The woman glanced at Draco's pocket. He sighed, pulling out a few sickles and dropping them in the woman's hand.

"Ahh, Harold! Now I remember. He saved some girl a few months back. Was a big hero for a while around here."

"Yes, that would be him. Do you know where we can find him?"

"Well, not here. He's moved on."

"Oh. Where does he live now?"

She snorted. "He doesn't live anywhere now. He's in the old cemetery just outside of Diagon Alley, up on the hill. In the poor section, for all the beggars without money or a family to pay for proper burial."

"Buried?!" Ginny's hand flew to her mouth in shock. She closed her eyes sadly. "How did he die?"

"Buggar if I know. How does any beggar die? Starvation, freezing on a cold winter night, being beaten by a gang of hooligans. Does it matter how he died?"

"No…I suppose not. Thank you." Ginny gave the woman a few more sickles and turned to leave.

"Oi, what's it to you anyway? You don't look the sort to be friends with the poor of Diagon Alley."

Ginny paused, turning her head halfway around. She didn't look at the woman, but stared past her, whispering, "I'm the girl he saved. Thank you for your time."

Draco took her arm, leading her away. Behind them they heard the woman whisper, "Oh my…"

It didn't take long to walk through Diagon Alley to the cemetery. On the way there they stopped at a flower shop, buying a dozen white lilies. The cemetery was empty, there were no funerals today. A large, old oak tree stood in the center, its heavy, ancient limbs brushing the ground. They made their way to a corner, where most of the headstones were unmarked and weathered with age. It took longer to search through the unmarked graves and finally find one with a new headstone. Someone had come along after it had been erected and carved the name "Harold" into it, and the year he was born and died. Ginny kneeled down in front of it, her head hanging low, staring down at the earth. Grass had already taken root in it and begun to grow, taking it over with no regard for the body that lay beneath. Ginny's eyes slipped closed as a tear leaked out of the corners, splashing onto her hand.

Draco hunched down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "You going to be okay, Gin?"

"I didn't even thank him," she whispered, wiping hastily at her eyes. "I just yelled at him, told him I'd wished he'd left me for dead. I wanted to thank him but…but now I never will be able to."

"That's not true, love. You can thank him now. Wherever he is, maybe he will hear you."

She nodded after a few minutes. Ginny propped the flowers up on the grave. "Harold…You didn't know me. But…but you saved me anyway. I owe you my life." She smiled at Draco, reaching her hand up to wrap it around his. "If it weren't for you…Draco and I…" She bit her lip to keep it from trembling. "I guess I just wanted to say…thank you. Thank you so much." Ginny kissed her hand, then pressed it against the earth.

Draco leaned his head on hers, kissing his cheek. "That's the best funeral service I'm sure he'd have ever gotten. C'mon…let's go home."

"No. Wait. Give me your wand." Draco handed it to her curiously. She sat back for a moment, contemplating, then leaned forward, using a spell to carve the words "Ginny Weasley's Savior" into the gravestone. She smiled at her work and gave Draco his wand back, letting him help her to her feet.

They were almost out of the graveyard when they heard the soft sound of someone crying. Ginny turned towards the noise, searching for its owner. It took her a few minutes, but finally her eyes landed on the source. A small child, a girl of ten years perhaps, knelt down in the shade of the large oak, crying over a headstone. The earth was freshly dug; the loved one had died less than a week ago. Ginny stepped towards the girl, startling her.

She had short brown hair and large green eyes with dark shadows under them. In her eyes Ginny saw an all too familiar haunted look. She flinched away from Ginny when the girl lifted a hand to touch her. "Are you alright, sweetie?" The little girl shook her head slowly. "What's the matter?"

"My mum…my mum is dead." She stared sadly at the headstone.

"Are you an orphan?"

The little girl shook her head again. "I live with my brother..."

"How old are you?"

"Eleven in a month."

Ginny smiled, kneeling down in front of her. "I guess that means you'll be going to Hogwarts this autumn?"

The child shrugged. "I haven't got any money to go to Hogwarts. Or a wand."

Ginny nodded, contemplating. "Well, I'll make a deal with you…"

"Emily."

"Emily. If you promise to go to Hogwarts this autumn, you can have my wand."

The girl's green eyes widened. "Really?"

"Mmhmm. Here it is." Ginny handed it over to her. The child took it slowly, staring in awe as gold sparks flew from the tip of it as soon as it touched her hand. "It's a special wand. For special girls just like you."

"It's so pretty. Thank you Miss!" The child threw her arms around Ginny, surprising her.

"My name is Ginny. Now, I expect to see you on the train on September 1. I'll be looking for you, so you'd better be there." The child nodded her head rapidly. "I'll be a seventh year, so you're lucky you'll have a friend like me at school. I'll keep an eye out for you and make sure nobody bullies you. Now…go home to your brother, the sun is setting and you shouldn't be out after dark. And don't lose that wand!" The girl was already dashing away towards the exit.

Ginny smiled and stood, brushing off her dress. Draco leaned against the tree, his arms crossed over his chest, a grin on his face. "Do you have any idea how invaluable a wand like that is?"

She nodded. "I know. But only if it's in the right hands. I can't use it anymore."

"You can't?" His brow furrowed in confusion. "Why not?"

"Because I don't need it anymore. It was made with the tears of a wood nymph and can only be used by a woman who has been deeply hurt and lost something close to her. It stopped working for me a few weeks after I killed Seamus Finnigan. Because I don't need it anymore. I'm whole again. And it was my turn to pass it on to someone else."

"Wow…" He whistled at the story, his eyebrows lifting. They watched at the little girl disappeared over the hill, the sun blazing behind her. "Well…shall we walk off into the sunset, love? It's time to be getting home." He held out an arm for her.

"Hmmm? So, you consider the Burrow home now?"

He shrugged. "For now…until we get our own place."

Ginny lifted an eyebrow. "Our own place? And how do you expect to pay for that?"

"I was thinking about becoming an Auror, actually." She was taken aback. "I mean, killing for vengeance and to protect the innocent. And not having to worry about the legalities of murder. I could get used to that kind of job. I think I'm pretty good at it, myself."

"Yeah, but…that means fighting on the side of the good guys. Being a hero." He grimaced. "A Harry Potter."

He held up a finger, pausing her. "No. I can be a hero without being a Harry Potter. In fact, I'll be better than Harry Potter. Soon, they'll start calling them Draco Malfoys. Renegade Aurors that kill the damned and rescue the innocent."

"Oh, how noble and romantic." She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked, smiling up at him. "My knight in shining armor. I'll be fighting the girls off of you at every turn."

"Well, what can I say? I'm irresistible."

"Still…an Auror…I like the sound of that. Maybe I'll join you. Maybe I'll become one when I get out of Hogwarts."  
He grimaced. "I dunno, Gin. It's a dangerous job. You could die at any moment."

"Oh, so you can do it and I can't?"

"I didn't say that…It's just, I'd get worried about you and all…"

"You sound just like Harry. Always worrying more about my safety than my heart's desire. I want to fight, Draco. I don't want to sit at home and wait for you to return from the war and worry whether or not I'll see you again. I want to be on the frontlines, fighting alongside you. And you can't stop me."

He sighed in defeat. "Alright, alright. You can fight. I'm not trying to control you, Gin." Draco paused at the top of the hill, turning to his girlfriend. "I just worry about you. Can't I worry?"

"Yes…But I've killed a man, remember? I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."

"Yes, I know. That's what I love about you." Draco smiled, leaning his forehead against Ginny's. "Now…can we walk off into the sunset, love?"  
She chuckled, holding his face in her hands. "Yeah, I guess so. But first…kiss me." He obliged, wrapping his arms around her body and capturing her lips with his. The sun set behind them as they kissed, casting a fiery halo around their bodies.


End file.
